Andy Carmichael Goonies Essay Example

Andy Carmichael Goonies Essay Director: Richard Donner Writers: Steven Spielberg (story) and Chris Columbus (screenplay) Script Links: http://www. geocities. com/goonies_e/script. html http://www. dailyscript. com/scripts/goonies. pdf Release Date: 1985 Run Time: 114 minutes Genre: Adventure / Family / Comedy Rated: PG Cast: Sean Astin . Michael Mikey Walsh Josh Brolin . Brandon Brand Walsh Jeff Cohen . Lawrence Chunk Cohen Corey Feldman . Clark Mouth Devereaux Kerri Green . Andrea Andy Carmichael Martha Plimpton . Stefanie Stef Steinbrenner Jonathan Ke Quan . Richard Data Wang (as Ke Huy Quan) John Matuszak . Lotney Sloth Fratelli Robert Davi . Jake Fratelli Joe Pantoliano . Francis Fratelli Anne Ramsey . Mama Fratelli [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic] [pic] [pic] Directions for The Goonies Essay Project Step 1- Choose a character from the film: Michael Mikey Walsh Brandon Brand Walsh Lawrence Chunk Cohen Clark Mouth Devereaux Andrea Andy Carmichael Stefanie Stef Steinbrenner Richard Data Wang (as Ke Huy Quan) Lotney Sloth Fratelli Jake Fratelli Francis Fratelli Mama Fratelli Step 2- Using your chosen Goonie, follow him/ her on the adventure by taking notes on his/ her character trait. Use the attached Character Traits Handout and the Character Traits Worksheet to aid in your note-taking (this is a grade). Step 3- Write a character analysis essay on your Goonie. We will write a custom essay sample on Andy Carmichael Goonies specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Andy Carmichael Goonies specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Andy Carmichael Goonies specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Essentially, you will use the essay format I went over in class (see Write Right packet), your notes from the film, and the Character Trait Worksheets to discuss your Goonie’s character traits. This is a formal essay. That means no never evers! No First Person, Contractions, Slang! See pages 9-12 Remembrall and the OEH pages 78-88 for a refresher! Remember the following for your Body Paragraphs: †¢ In the first topic paragraph, describe the first character trait you have chosen. Remember these can be defined by: 1. What he/ she says – words 2. What he/ she does – actions 3. What others say (or think) about him/ her – dialogue 4. What others do to him/ her – action †¢ In the second topic paragraph, describe the second character trait you have chosen. Remember these can be defined by: 1. What he/ she says – words 2. What he/ she does – actions 3. What others say (or think) about him/ her – dialogue 4. What others do to him/ her – action †¢ In the final topic paragraph, describe the third character trait you have chosen. Remember these can be defined by: 1. What he/ she says – words . What he/ she does – actions 3. What others say (or think) about him/ her – dialogue 4. What others do to him/ her – action Standards: Writing 7. 8 The student will develop expository writings. * Apply knowledge of prewriting strategies. * Elaborate the central idea in an organized manner. * Choose vocabulary and information that will cause a reader to perceive images and tone. * Revise writing for clarity. * Edit final copies to ensure correct use of homonyms, pronoun-antecedent agreement, subject-verb agreement, and verb tense consistency. Edit final copies to ensure correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and format. Benchmark: Key factors learned from The Goonies Essay: 1. Time management- we had to focus on managing our time wisely so as to complete the essay (four fully written paragraphs) in the allotted time of the class. 2. Recalling Facts/ Citing- we learned to recall scenes from the film, The Goonies, and then apply it to our paragraphs as proof to support our topics. 3. Formatting- we learned how to use the Gospel to our advantage and develop our own essay formats based on the guidelines within the Gospel. . Application/ Synthesis- we learned how to take gained knowledge coupled with new information and synthesize it into an expression of our own learning. Character Traits Handout Introduction F. Scott Fitzgerald once n oted, â€Å"Action is character. † In other words, characters do things. They feel things. They hear things. They say things. They think things. They go places and so on. It is in these actions that the character’s traits are established. It is in this that we, the readers, get to â€Å"see† what kind of character thee people are: friendly, sad, nosey, love-struck, adventurous, etc. When we discuss characters in literature, poetry, and even film, we often describe them in terms of their character traits, descriptive adjectives that define the specific qualities of the character. The author/ poet/ director may present this directly, but often times, they show us this in action. Our job as readers/ viewers is to draw conclusions about the character’s traits (infer them). Below is a list of ways we can determine the traits of the character we are studying: [pic] 1. APPEARANCE AND NAME. A possible place to look for analysis is in the names of the characters: For example, Willy Loman from Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. â€Å"Loman† says a lot about Willy be a â€Å"low man. †Ã‚   It provides the reader an opportunity to analyze the name and character. Would a man with the last name of Loman be more likely to be a powerful business man or one whose career is over? †¢ List the direct characterization of a characters appearance. Before wri ting a character analysis paper, list the qualities of appearance that the author has given you. Then try to analyze how the appearance develops the character. [pic] 2. ACTIONS †¢ We know a lot about a person by the way he/ she behaves. If the person cries a lot, we assume something about his or her character. If a man is always breaking up with his girlfriends, there is something we can assume about him. †¢ To begin, list actions of each characters. Then analyze how these actions define the characteristics of each characters. (See the attached Character Traits Chart Handout) [pic] 3. SPEECH †¢ As with action, we know a lot about a person by what he or she says. Also, we know a lot about a person by how the person says something. Is the character extremely ironic? †¢ To begin, list some dialogue that shows some characteristics of the character. [pic] 4. THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS †¢ Look for thoughts and feelings of a character that demonstrates to you some characteristics of the character. o   Ã‚   If a character always feels guilty, what does this say about the person? Does he have a low self-esteem? Is he extremely religious? †¢ List thoughts and feelings of each characters. Then analyze how these thoughts and feelings define the characteristics of each characters. pic] 5. CHOICES †¢ As choices are made, they reveal the characters value and self-concept. o If a character decides to help volunteer at the shelter, what does this say about her? If she decides to cheat on her husband, what does this say about? †¢ List the choices of each characters. Then analyze what these choices say about the character. How do they add to the indirect characterization? [pic] 6. COMMENTS ABOUT OTHER CHARACTERS †¢ We can learn a lot about a character when another character or the narrator says something about him or her. [pic] Some Common Character Traits †¢ Honest |†¢ Excited |†¢ Bright |†¢ Unselfish |†¢ Humble |†¢ Ambitious | |†¢ Light-hearted |†¢ Studious |†¢ Courageous |†¢ Self-confident |†¢ Friendly |†¢ Able | |†¢ Leader |†¢ Inventive |†¢ Serious |†¢ Respectful |†¢ Short |†¢ Quiet | |†¢ Expert |†¢ Creative |†¢ Funny |†¢ Considerate |†¢ Adventurous |†¢ Curious | |†¢ Brave |†¢ Thrilling |†¢ Humorous |†¢ Imaginative |†¢ Hard-working |†¢ Reserved | |†¢ Conceited |†¢ Independent |†¢ Sad |†¢ Busy |†¢ Timid |†¢ Pleasing | |†¢ Mischievous |†¢ Intelligent |†¢ Poor |†¢ Patriotic |†¢ Shy |†¢ Bossy | |†¢ D emanding |†¢ Compassionate |†¢ Rich |†¢ Fun-loving |†¢ Bold |†¢ Witty | |†¢ Thoughtful |†¢ Gentle |†¢ Tall |†¢ Popular |†¢ Daring |†¢ Fighter | |†¢ Keen |†¢ Proud |†¢ Dark |†¢ Successful |†¢ Dainty |†¢ Tireless | |†¢ Happy |†¢ Wild |†¢ Light |†¢ Responsible |†¢ Pitiful |†¢ Energetic | |†¢ Disagreeable |†¢ Messy |†¢ Handsome |†¢ Lazy |†¢ Cooperative |†¢ Cheerful | |†¢ Simple |†¢ Neat |†¢ Pretty |†¢ Dreamer |†¢ Lovable |†¢ Smart | |†¢ Fancy |†¢ Joyful |†¢ Ugly |†¢ Helpful |†¢ Prim |†¢ Impulsive | |†¢ Plain |†¢ Strong |†¢ Selfish |†¢ Simple-minded |†¢ Proper |†¢ Loyal | Character Traits Worksheet Actions |Character Traits They Reveal | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Characterâ€⠄¢s Name: ______________________________________ Notes on the Essay Format Review your notes from the essay format I went over in class (in great detail), the Write Right packet, the OEH, and the use of your notes from the film, then use the below noted outlined essay format as an example to develop your Goonies essay. †¢ In the first topic paragraph, describe the first character trait you have chosen. Remember these can be defined by: 1. What he/ she says – words 2. What he/ she does – actions 3. What others say (or think) about him/ her – dialogue 4. What others do to him/ her – action †¢ In the second topic paragraph, describe the second character trait you have chosen. Remember these can be defined by: 1. What he/ she says – words 2. What he/ she does – actions 3. What others say (or think) about him/ her – dialogue 4. What others do to him/ her – action †¢ In the final topic paragraph, describe the third character trait you have chosen. Remember these can be defined by: 1. What he/ she says – words 2. What he/ she does – actions 3. What others say (or think) about him/ her – dialogue 4. What others do to him/ her – action Consider this your â€Å"example† (see the following attached page). Then, using these notes and the guideline handouts, write (fill in) with â€Å"proof† (quotes, examples from scenes, etc) a formal essay (that means NO NEVER EVERS) about the character traits of your chosen Goonie. For now, you are focusing on proof and finding evidence to support your thesis and topic sentences (see traits handouts). You may wish to consult the â€Å"Understanding† section of your Remembrall. There you may wish to review the elements of character, conflict, and theme to help you write this essay. Waldo Farguson Mr. Reese English 7, Period 1 9 February 2009 A Chunk of Character Sometimes doing the â€Å"right† thing is about making the â€Å"right† choices. In Steven Spielberg and Richard Donner’s film, The Goonies (1985), Chunk learns this difficult lesson when he and his friends, facing their last days together before a development paves over their homes, stumble onto evidence of pirates treasure. It is this new discovery and the possibilities it holds that allows Chunk’s character to truly develop throughout the whole of the story. Further, his loyalty, compassion, and courage are the specific traits that lead to the saving of their homes from pending development. Chunk’s loyalty defines his character. Notes: For the rest of the formatting of this essay, check your Write Right packet for samples and/or the OEH for development of MLA form. Keep it simple. We are working on form here. It’s like a math formula. Plug and chug to get the pattern down. Once we have this, we are free to develop our style and voice (hopefully in 4th quarter this will begin to take shape). Also, make sure you â€Å"flesh out† your defense: you need to make sure you explain your quotes and defense. Don’t simply list examples. The following page is an example of your Works Cited. Works Cited The Goonies. Dir. Richard Donner. Perf. Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, and Corey Feldman. 1985. DVD. Warner Brothers, 2001.

Nineteen Eighty Four George Orwell Essays

Nineteen Eighty Four George Orwell Essays Nineteen Eighty Four George Orwell Essay Nineteen Eighty Four George Orwell Essay Essay Topic: George orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell In part 1 of Nineteen Eighty-Four Orwell introduces us to the many means of control used by the Party to maintain power over the people. These tools of power are of many kinds and are extremely effective. For example some use technology, some come under the category of propaganda and some can be discussed in relation to structure of government. All these systems combine into a brutally effective machine for dominating the population, as the book’s main protagonists, Winston and Julia, discover. They discover late in the novel that the Party is utterly without human sympathy and empathy, and exercises power not to order human life according to any beneficial principal, but only to keep power. It is impossible to defeat a regime so single-minded. George Orwell’s main contention in the novel is to show that, if a completely power-driven totalitarian government ever came into power, it would stay there. It would become an irresistible and therefore permanent authoritarian government for all mankind. The Party’s effectiveness is partly due to the technology of the time which allows the party comprehensive powers of surveillance. By means of telescreens and hidden microphones across the city, the party is able to monitor its members almost all of the time. In addition there are surveillance helicopters that fly around peering into people’s windows; there is no privacy at all. With this constant observation there is no escape, â€Å"your worst enemy, he reflected, was your own nervous system. At any moment the tension inside you was liable to translate itself into some visible symptom†. The party’s use of technology makes control over the citizens brutal and extremely effective. The brutal control is also due to the constant propaganda that acts as psychological stimuli designed to overwhelm the mind’s capacity for independent thought. With the help of telescreens a constant stream of propaganda is always heard, designed to make the Party’s shortcomings seem like triumphant successes. â€Å"Big Brother is watching you†, citizens are constantly reminded with huge posters of Big Brother and slogans printed everywhere. Propaganda plays a big part in the dominating control the Party olds over Oceania. The Party also uses a method to weed out the malcontents and rebels. This helps them construct a completely controlled civilization. The party sets traps, lays bait and tempts rebels towards an organization that offers hope but tragically doesn’t exist. It gives them an illusion that there is a way to oppress the Party, but it traps them like a Venus fly trap and â€Å"vaporizes† them. So, Winston and Julia are led unknowingly into the shop of Mr Charrington who, we learn, is not a mere prole but a member of the thought police. Winton is lulled into the trap early as he buys the diary from Charrington’s shop and slowly is dragged into renting a room above it. A nostalgia for the past and a desire for privacy is what drives them and this plays directly into the hands of the Party. Another tempting trap devised by the Party is Emanuel Goldstein’s Brotherhood, which Winston and Julia both fall into. What emerges from O’Brien’s deception of Winston and Julia is the fact of the Party’s complete inhumanity. The Party expects the human desire for happiness and freedom to rise up from time to time, but, because of its commitment to power, it has found a system to cull out individuals who experience this desire and destroy them. The Party’s use of traps allows them to catch the rebels easily which in turn allows them to maintain total control. The Party’s control is complete and final. Through many systems their superior control comes with ease, hand in hand with the suppression of the human spirit and hope.

The film Frankenstein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The film Frankenstein - Essay Example Finally Frankenstein manages to put life into his imagination. The reborn dead body played by Robert monster was first quite and pleasant but Fritz torments monster and so his criminal brain begins to catapult into a fully criminal behavior. Fed up by the criminal behavior of monster Frankenstein leaves him with his mentor Dr.Waldman. The monster escapes from Dr.Waldman and comes to village to take revenge on Frankenstein. Before escaping monster kills both Fritz and Waldman since Fritz was torturing him with fire and whips and Waldman was about to dissect him to dispose. After escaping from the castle the monster went to Elizabeth's bedroom seeing him she screams and he flees. The manhunt is on for the monster and is found in the mountains. He over powers Frankenstein and ties him to a windmill. The windmill is seta fire and eventually it falls on the monster and he burns to ground. Frankenstein is shown carried. The movie was really close to what Mary Shelly has written in her novel. The direction was so appropriate that it brought the darker side of the story to the silver screen. Shelly was trying to make it clear in the novel that science should not tamper with life. The movie miserably fails to make shelly's point clear.

Supply, Demand and Easyjet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Supply, Demand and Easyjet - Essay Example This project would talk about one component of marketing mix which is pricing strategies. The project is projected to address the pricing strategies that are followed by Easy Jet Airline and compare the price with the British Airways. Role of Pricing The fundamental rule of supply and demand states that when there is excess of supply over demand, the price tends to go down and when there is excess of demand over supply of products, the price tends to rise. Thus it can be suggested that prices moves upwards or falls in order to eliminate the risk of excess demand and to bring the supply and demand in the same equilibrium. Price is one of the most important components of marketing mix but also its importance does vary from product to products. Prices are based on certain calculation of cost providing the result in unit cost which tends to remain constant or reduces. The nominal price is determined by the prudence which is often experienced by a customer in the process of acquisition of their personal needs and human wants. It is actually the value that the customer expects from the price paid. The type is market price at which the products are sold off. Market prices rise and fall when the offers exceed the demand or stays below the demand. The price of the product thus depends on two forces the supply and demand (Papantoniou, 1992, p.167). Price is termed as an ingredient which a customer has to pay in order to obtain a product. It is most often regarded as the most flexible components out of the four marketing mix elements. It is one of the quickest elements which can change. Marketers have the ability to raise or even lower the prices more frequently than they change the other marketing variables. Price is regarded as an important competitive weapon and is essential for the organization because price gets multiplied by the number of units sold which equals to total revenue of the firm (Lamb & Hair &McDaniel, 2008, p. 47). In order to survive in the highly comp etitive market place, companies are going for the strategy of obtaining pricing objectives which are attainable, specific and measurable. Pricing objectives are divided into three categories which include profit oriented, sales and status quo. Pricing objectives of a firm often reflects the reality of the market. Pricing objectives are not always used to increase the profit of the firm. Sometimes a firm maintains the price to retain the position which is relative to the competition. This form of pricing objective is termed as status quo. When it comes to the basic law of supply and demand it does influences the pricing strategy. Although the inverse relationship between the price and demand is understood and well known, it is often seen on the perspective of supply side which means that the relationship between price and demand is usually seen from the marketer’s perspective. Another important issue with regards to supply and demand is the expectation of the customers with re spect to price. The customers often tend to have expectation when they purchase a product but in some case the customer expectation about price can be the driving force used in the pricing strategy. According to the situation demand, a marketer sets prices which are in accordance with what the market would pay irrespective of the cost, competition and other factors which affect the

The Political Freedom of Self Under Islamic Regulations Essay

The Political Freedom of Self Under Islamic Regulations - Essay Example In this research paper, I’ll analyze the idea and conception of one’s political freedom in Islam, and how we can achieve it. In the beginning, I’ll quote Qur’anic verses that have particularly emphasized freedom and then, I’ll discuss al nafs (self) and its freedom in Quran. I’ll also examine the extent of man’s freedom in his actions and its political application. In addition, I’ll explore how a complete surrender to Allah’s will and message brings freedom for self. Moreover, I’ll thoroughly explain Qutb’s investigation on how complete surrender to Allah’s will brings freedom and end enslavement of other humans or systems. Additionally, I’ll explain Isaiah Berlin’s ideas of freedom and his critique of â€Å"positive freedom† in an effort to identify their relevance with Qutb’s. Lastly, I’ll explore the idea of jihad (struggle in the way of Allah or struggle against unbeliever) as Qutb refers it as a universal declaration of freedom and the way it is established. Semantically, freedom can mean a variety of things, but in this paper freedom shall be understood within the realms of Islam and within the two concept of freedom as explained by Isaiah Berlin. These two concepts are negative freedom, and positive freedom. Negative freedom is centered on the lack of restraints and constraint in carrying out actions, whereas positive freedom is the complete opposite. In positive freedom, one is restrained or allowed to act in a certain way on the basis of moral code. Muslims are free to act as they want as they can take their own decisions (determinism and mon). They are responsible for their actions; therefore, they need to purify their actions and self. In an effort to purify the inner self, they follow the regulations set by Islam. Jihad Asghar constitute three stages of self, and practicing it

Benefits of Cross Border Mergers and Acquisitions

Benefits of Cross Border Mergers and Acquisitions In the process of businesses creating or building shareholder value, they the management are motivated to undertake cross border mergers and acquisitions in other to expand their operations which will then generate greater profits or potential for owners (shareholder) value creation than that of internal growth. Cross-border mergers and acquisitions (MA) internationally have played a key part in this issue of globalisation or global activity of growth and expansion. When firms and companies otherwise known as enterprises continually increase in size, they tend to look for more funding or capital from outside their territory (locality) or country of operation which may not be readily available in their home country of operation to further advance their growth and expansion drive. And this particularly involves transnational firms such as HSBC, British Petroleum (BP), Vodafone and Shell for example taking over companies or businesses in other countries by parting away with huge sums of money. According to Krekel et al.(1969) mergers usually involve businesses or corporations of same or equal size, whilst the acquiring firm in the case of acquisitions tends to be bigger or larger. According to recent trends in cross border mergers and acquisitions (MA), most of these Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) move to emerging markets in order to take charge or buy controlling interest in those markets. The creation of the European Union (EU) internal market on 31 December 1992 (which seeks to remove trade barriers among member nations) brought about influx of US, Japanese and EU companies holding market positions in EU. And thus the late nineties witnessed more MA involving both local and International partners, with mega mergers between multinationals like DaimlerChrysler and Exxon-Mobil, which transformed global market competition. During this period many businesses in emerging markets were privatised thus creating growth opportunities for MNEs to gain access to previously closed markets of enormous potential. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD, 1998) unfold the driving forces behind cross border MA as per current globalisation. Practitioners of cross border MA deals encourage deregulation or diversification and liberation of the local and state owned businesses or enterprises, thus affording foreign enterprises or businesses in advanced economies to invest directly, joint venture ship or partnership or even outright take over (UNCTAD, 1999) This paper will try to address the significant benefits and also some pitfalls of cross border, mergers and acquisitions as pertaining to global market growth and expansion of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) or businesses. UNCTAD, 1999 reports that the transition host nation in a greenfield investment or mergers and acquisition stands to benefit in resources or technology. For instance the flow of foreign direct investment to a transition host nation will boost its foreign reserves (Gross domestic product). A clear example is the take over of Cadbury UK plc by Kraft Company which undervalued these shares (Cadbury) but yet invested in excess of Nineteen billion pounds (Â £19) into the UK economy in the midst of the global economic crunch. According to Razin et al (1998), low level of taxes or incentives in some European Union (EU) countries, prompted Investors within UK, to move their production wing of their firms from the UK to E U countries in order for these firms to enjoy stron ger market positions. Investors usually consider tax issues before deciding on where to invest or move their investments to. Many a times, investors favour or decide on nations where the tax laws and policies are relaxed thus favouring their cause in terms of releasing their investment back with maximum gain. Hitt et al (2001 a,b) described acquisition as the process by which controlling stake in a business enterprise or venture is purchased by another larger firm via an open market or on an exchange. Acquisition which is otherwise known as Takeover occurs when majority shares or stake in an organisation is purchased by another bigger firm. By this, the bigger firm take control or charge of the assets as well as the liabilities of this target business which now becomes its subsidiary. Hitt et al (2000) further saw merger as the situation where two or more smaller corporations decide to pull their resources together in order to become a giant leader in their industry or market. When this happens, a new corporate identity will adopted thus both companies will drop their old or individual identities and put on the new one after an agreement has been reached amongst the parties involved. A clear example will be the ongoing merger agreement being entered into by British Airways and Iberial Air lines which aftermath will birth a new corporate identity and image as agreed upon by the parties involved. Another example is that of GlaxoSmithKline which involved synergy between two pharmaceutical firms namely Glaxowellcome and Smithkline Becham that merged to form the second largest pharmaceutical company in Europe. It is worthy to note that synergy will provide more gain since the two companies stands to produce more when they are together through sharing of ideas and technical know how than being on their own as individual. Thus the equation of one plus one equalling three came to being (synergy theory) through merger and acquisition as beneficial to the two firms that came together as one entity or under one umbrella. Again these large companies or businesses with global repute or stature enjoy tremendous benefits in the area reduction in prices, increasing control of market and economies of scale. According to Fatemi et al (1988), even though introducing cross border MA in a near perfect market situation, the owners of the business may not enjoy dividends as per from local operation and this varied valuations for local and international mergers will seek to uncover the imperfect capital market dealings. Pringle (1991) stressed that market accessibility is the main rationale for foreign direct investment. To add to this Harris et al (1991) further elude to the fact that giant or larger companies or firms join with other firms in other nations simply to access their foreign market share. In other words it aids in its saturation into new areas or segments of other markets with no restrictions whatsoever and in addition access credit facilities whilst enjoying tax rebates reserved for local businesses. HOW CROSS BORDER MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS ARE DETERMINED Investors are always drawn to or interested in investing in high flying corporations who are consistent and increasingly growing and engaging in expansion drive of their various businesses or business units. Growth and expansion performance of businesses may be as a result of good corporate governance practices and policies adopted by or from the side of Management of that firm in line with that of the growing target market. In the words of Cheng et al (1989) and that of Moore (1996), overseas business owners or investors enjoyed high returns on their investments after being encouraged to put or invest their wealth in financial institutions (bank), outside the United States for the simple reason of their good financial health thus, favourable growth rates and high turnover in assets and expansion drive. Among other factors that positively influence cross border dealings in emerging economies like that of Africa, Eastern Europe and South America is profitability and efficiency that st ands out as the number one reason. Financiers and investors from both the United States of America and United Kingdom channel their wealth to some financial institutions (banks) and other businesses in these regions via direct investments or mergers. Hannan et al (2007), Vander (2007) and Pasiouras et al (2007) all consented that investors from the United States will shy away from investing their wealth in those financial institutions that constantly make a deficit after they (investors) have critically scrutinised and reviewed the said financial data, profitability and investor ratios before choosing the right venture to invest in, in order to maximise their wealth. In the words of Hannan et al (2007) a lot of mergers and cross border acquisition happen due to the challenges businesses go through in sourcing for more funds or capital to expand their businesses. Hannan et al (2007) again said many of the larger financial institution (banks) and companies exploit the option of target ing emerging markets in terms of investing their resources when considering expanding their corporations. The results from this movement by the larger companies will better advance the economies of these target countries where the small firms are located for which takeover occurred since the cost involved in business transaction will be drastically reduced due to the size and capital base of these larger firms. Among other things, cross border mergers and acquisition can occur where there is concentration of similar businesses such as banks in a catchment area or region. Businesses like banks and stores according to Hannan et al (2007) would always want to take their services and operations to the door steps of the clients, thus concentrating on high streets and other prime locations to better meet their clients need as can be attested in the United Kingdom (UK). Another point worth considering in this determinant of cross border acquisition and merger is Taxation. As with most countries, local companies enjoy tax reliefs or exemptions for awhile whilst foreign companies are made to pay income tax on their local business enterprise as well as foreign income tax. In the words of Scholes et al. (1990), Servaes et al. (1994) and Desai et al. (2002), investors within advanced economies or markets who pay higher taxes tend to invest overseas where they avoid tax and enjoy exemption from foreign or overseas income. For this reason several indices were created by La porta et al. (1998), useful for eper this larger created affiliation. In these indices there is also rule of law and efficient judiciary process thus ensuring that the rights of individuals are respected by all and sundry. In the same vein, Johnson et al. (2000) agreed with the above statement with emphasis on minority shareholders whilst the rights of creditors should be enforced when f irms default in their payments after notices are served. And last but not the least, there must be fair treatment within the confines of the laws or regulations with respect to company directors (Executive and non executive directors). LIMITATIONS It is important to note that cross-border acquisitions and mergers are not, however, without pitfalls. Irrespective of acquisition being domestic or cross-border, investors experience problem of over paying thus suffering excessive financing costs (Eiteman et al., 2004 pg. 590). Merging corporate cultures between a local firm and an overseas one becomes a problem since regulations for example like governance practices might differ from country to country. Managing the aftermath of cross-border merger and acquisition process is normally characterised by retrenchment to achieve economies of scale and scope in overhead duties or functions. The outcome of this is unproductiveness among employees of the target company who fear of losing their jobs or been laid off. For example the take over of Ghana Telecom by Vodafone in January 2009 saw more than thousand workers being laid off. And their new Chief Executive Kyle Whitehill indicates that further restructuring is necessary to ensure that the company is able to deliver prudent returns Source: Joy Business/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana (July 29, 2010). Even for some top executives, for fear losing their jobs become uncooperative when it comes to merger and takeover talks. United Kingdoms example is the aftermath of takeover of Cadbury UK by Kraft plc from United States which saw the downsizing of over four hundred of its employees after the production plant or unit in UK was relocated in Poland to reduce labour and operative costs. In the words of Hadlock et al (1999), company bosses or executives, for fear of losing their jobs after the takeover will conceal some vital information or be reluctant to provide important data that will aid the investors to properly come to a decision as to whether to invest or not in a target business. Globally, additional problems occur from the part of host countries where their government intervene in price discrimination, financing, employment guarantees, segmentation and general nationalism and favouritism which includes capital flight and corrupt practises by foreign investors with the help of personnel in state departments from target nation (see Eiteman et al., 2004 pg. 590). An example is the Quality Grain Scandal in Ghana where some ministers connived with foreign investors to cause financial loss to the state is seen as the most corrupt deal in the country (Source: newsinghana.com). Also the preparation of final accounts might differ from country to country thus it is advised that there must be consistency in its preparation among subsidiaries of that holding company for easy comprehension. For some countries among emerging economies, the host government creates its own standards which differs from that of developed economies for example United States where private sectors and the Government set up GAAP with other principals and standards. Radebaugh et al (1997), Choi et al (1991) and Land et al (2000) all confirmed the differences in the way financial statements are prepared in US, UK and other European countries with makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to understand and compare with similar statements (profit and loss) within sector. According to Ali et al (2000) and Ball et al (2000), Germany lacks in the preparation of returns such that investors or entrepreneurs request for more insight to facts from host nations outside that of the financial report. Anoth er area worth considering is disclosure policy pertaining to corporate governance. Unlike the US and UK where disclosure in corporate governance is held in high esteem, that of emerging countries is very low. For instance some public companies and their private counterparts in these emerging refuse to practise international accounting standards been accepted globally and for that reason are reluctant to fully disclose information freely to prospective investors or other third parties (see UNCTAD 2000). In fact, the ability to successfully complete cross-border acquisition may itself be a test of competency of the MNE in the twenty first century (see Eiteman et al. (2004) pg. 590). SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES OF CROSS-BORDER MERGER AND ACQUISITION CONCLUSION Finally, managers tend to take uneconomical plans of takeovers. Sometimes, the motives for takeover decisions by managers may be attributed to availability of free cash flow or for no just cause. The number and dollar value of cross border mergers and acquisitions has grown rapidly in recent years but the growth and magnitude of activity is taking place in the developed countries, not the developing countries. As opposed to the fighting and scraping for market share and profits in traditional domestic markets, a MNE can expect greater growth potential in the global marketplace. There are a variety of paths by which the MNE can enter foreign markets, including Greenfield investment and acquisition. The drivers of MA activity are both macro (the global competitive environment) and micro in scope (the variety of industry and firm-level forces and actions driving individual firm value). The primary forces of change in the global competitive environment technological change, regulatory change, and capital market change create new business opportunities for MNEs, which they pursue aggressively.

The American South :: American History States Papers

The American South So you've moved, or been moved, to the South. Or maybe you're thinking about it. You're wondering: What is this place? What's different about it? Is it different, anymore? Good questions. Old ones, too. People have been asking them for decades. Some of us even make our livings by asking them, but we still don't agree about the answers. Let's look at what might seem to be a simpler question: Where is the South? That's easy enough, isn't it? People more or less agree about which parts of the United States are in the South and which aren't. If I gave you a list of states and asked which are "Southern," all in all, chances are you'd agree with some of my students, whose answers are summarized in Figure 1. I don't share their hesitation about Arkansas, and I think too many were ready to put Missouri in the South, but there's not a lot to argue with here. That tells us something. It tells us that the South is, to begin with, a concept and a shared one. It's an idea that people can talk about, think about, use to orient themselves and each other. People know whether they're in it or not. As a geographer would put it, the South is a "vernacular" region. Stop and think about that. Why should that be? Why can I write "South" with some assurance that you'll know I mean Richmond and don't mean Phoenix? What is it that the South's boundaries enclose? Well, for starters, it's not news that the South has been an economically and demographically distinctive place a poor, rural region with a biracial population, reflecting the historic dominance of the plantation system. One thing the South's boundaries have set off is a set of distinctive problems, growing out of that history. Those problems may be less and less obvious, but most are still with us to some extent, and we can still use them to locate the South. But the South is more than just a collection of unfavorable statistics. It has also been home to several populations, black and white, whose intertwined cultures have set them off from other Americans as well as from each other. Some of us, in fact, have suggested that Southerners ought to be viewed as an American ethnic group, like Italian- or Polish-Americans. If we can use distinctive cultural attributes to find Southerners, then we can say that the South is where they are found.