Enron essays

Enron essays Years before headline-grabbing accounting schemes, document shredding, executive bonus scandals and employee losses, Enron began as a small oil and gas pipeline company in Texas. Begun in 1985, it profited by promising to deliver gas and oil to a particular utility or business at a fixed future date and at a fixed price. As the energy markets, and in particular the electrical power markets, were deregulated, Enrons business expanded into brokering and trading electricity and other energy commodities. The deregulation of these markets was a key Enron strategy as it invested time and money in lobbying Congress and state legislatures for access to what traditionally had been publicly provided utility markets. Some of Enrons top executives became frequently named corporate political patrons of the Republican Party and the campaigns of George W. Bush and other elected officials. As Enrons business grew, it became a broker, a middleman, which made money from the difference between ener gy commodity sales and purchase prices. The actual prices Enron paid for and sold its commodities at were kept secret. As Enron began to face competition from other energy commodity traders, the business arrangements became more and more complex. The company was creating markets for products that never previously existed, and maybe shouldnt have existed. Customers could insure themselves against changing business conditions, including changes in interest rates, commodity prices or even a change in the weather. According to The Washington Post, over time the volume of business from these nontraditional contracts dwarfed Enrons mainline market in commodity trading. The stock price soared and Fortune magazine heralded Enron as one of the most innovative companies in America. Executive compensation for Enron CEO Ken Lay in 2000 topped $53 million, with exercised stock options of more than $123 million and unex...

This is the Best Lead Nurturing Strategy to Move People Down Your Funnel

This is the Best Lead Nurturing Strategy to Move People Down Your Funnel For several quarters, your organization has been excelling at almost every metric  and you’ve been generating tons of leads. The only problem is that you haven’t been seeing the kind of revenue that even comes close to the number of leads you’ve generated. While there could be a number of reasons behind this, it typically stems from improper lead nurturing or the lack of it. It’s not enough to just generate leads because those leads do not automatically translate to revenue. For that, you need them to convert. And to convert them, you need to nurture them so that they follow the conversion path in your sales funnel  and  eventually result in a sale. That’s where a lot of organizations get stuck and what this post addresses. Lead Nurturing Templates to Get Your Sales Funnel Right Before learning how to troubleshoot your lead nurturing activities, check out these templates. This download includes: A content audit guide to help identify your content deficits. A content mapping template to map your content to each funnel stage. A 2019 content calendar to get your year planned out. A user persona worksheet to help you target the right people.What is Lead Nurturing and Why is it Necessary? Lead nurturing refers to the process of building and nurturing your relationships with potential customers throughout the buyer’s journey. The goal is to guide them through different stages of your sales funnel and eventually get them to convert. Which means you need to provide them with relevant assistance, information, content, and offers depending on where they are in the funnel. This is important because 80% of new leads  will never result in a sale. But nurtured leads are 50% more sales-ready. In other words, nurturing your leads will improve your chances of converting them. And an increase in conversions can increase your revenue. It’s easy to nurture your leads, in theory. But in practice, a lot of organizations struggle with their lead nurturing efforts. In fact, 86% of B2B marketers in a DemandGen survey  rated their lead nurturing initiatives as only average or below. This isn’t too shocking considering how 80% of respondents have found it challenging to generate responses with their lead nurturing programs. Image Source: DemandGen It’s important to note that these aren’t just startup business owners or marketers who are struggling. Clearly, lead nurturing isn’t something that you can easily master, even if you’ve run a business for years. There’s always room to keep learning because the B2B landscape keeps evolving with new technology. There are also frequent changes in buyer behaviors and preferences. So you need to brush up your knowledge every now and then to learn some of the best ways to nurture leads and increase conversions. Beginners, on the other hand, will have to learn from scratch.   Recommended Reading: The 4 Simple Stages of an Engaging Email Funnel Strategy Steps to Nurture Your Leads for Sales There are tons of ways to nurture leads, but you can’t attempt all of them in one go or you’ll get overwhelmed and end up failing. You need to start slowly – from the basics and the most effective tactics. So check out the following essential steps and advanced tactics to nurture your leads for sales: #1: Align Your Sales and Marketing Teams A misalignment between your sales and marketing teams could be the main reason you’re falling behind in your lead nurturing efforts. When there’s collaboration between the people who generate leads and the people who convert those leads, your organization can effectively guide potential buyers through the funnel. This will eventually result in better sales and customer loyalty. Recommended Reading: The Best Sales Enablement Strategy for Marketers (+ 4 Free Templates) In fact, 58% of respondents to a LinkedIn survey  felt that sales and marketing alignment improves customer retention. 54% of the respondents also felt that sales and marketing alignment boosts the financial performance of their organization. Yet 38% of respondents in a Conversica study  did not follow up on their inbound leads. Even among the companies who did follow up, 63% gave up after only 1-2 attempts. This shows that even when marketing has done their part to generate leads, there could be a  lack of or insufficient follow-up attempts from the sales team. Image Source: Conversica Here are some tips that will help you align your sales and marketing teams: Develop a unified set of goals that you can measure.  A misalignment in team goals could result in overall misalignment between the two teams. Define specific goals that both teams should work towards such as attainment of a revenue goal, a percentage increase in revenue, a certain number of conversions, etc. Come up with a formal process of qualifying leads  and determining when to pass them on to the sales team. A proper lead scoring system will help you with this process. You will learn more about this in the next step to nurture your leads for sales. Coordinate content marketing campaigns  with your sales team. Consider their suggestions in your content brainstorming sessions. And make sure you communicate with them about any deals and offers you have in place. This communication should include talking points about the offer, leads generated from the offer, and other essential information. The marketing team needs to consult with the sales team about what kind of buyer information will be most helpful to them. Knowing the exact kind of buyer data to collect will help your marketing team smoothly transition more qualified leads through the funnel. #2: Learn to Score Your Leads As mentioned briefly in the previous point, you need to learn how to score your leads so you know when to transition them to different teams. Lead scoring is a process of ranking your leads based on how likely they are to convert. But more importantly, it helps your sales and marketing teams to align their definition of a hot lead and helps them coordinate more effortlessly. Since lead scoring assigns a numerical value to the quality of each lead, it becomes easier for each team to identify when and how to approach each buyer. This makes lead scoring an essential element in the lead nurturing processes of most organizations. In fact, an Eloqua study  of 10 B2B organizations found that lead scoring systems increased deal close rates by 30%. The companies also saw a revenue increase of 18% and a revenue-per-deal increase of 17%.

Critically discuss crowdfunding as a source of funding for technology Essay

Critically discuss crowdfunding as a source of funding for technology ventures - Essay Example The European commission is presently dedicated towards releasing the potential of crowdfunding in the European Union, with the aim of enhancing the longer-term funding of enterprises and encouraging innovation (EOS Gallup Europe, 2005). Technology ventures have been on the rise lately, particularly due to high public technology interest; these ventures rely on scientific and technological advancement, selection as well as development of new products, assets or their attributes (Berger & Udell, 1998:1). Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up a vast proportion of all the new jobs creations, with start-up companies introducing new ideas or processes of production that revolutionize ways of doing things. In the European Union, SMEs are considered to be non-subsidiary, autonomous businesses that employ fewer than 250 employees while in the US, SMEs entails firms with less than 500 workers. SMEs have gained increased attention in the previous years, as a result of their massive growth that has been attributed to the increased access to financing (Berggren, Olofsson, Silver, 2000). According to Grant Thornton, a guest speaker from Les Ross, SMEs get most of their funding from banks; given that SMEs account for the greatest number of businesses and jobs in the European Union (Kira, 2013), the commission projects that crowdfunding has the capacity to promote economic growth and job creation. This paper critically discusses crowdfunding as a potentially alternative source of funding for technology ventures, with particular attention given to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The global crowdfunding industry has experienced massive growth over the years, especially with the rapid growth of internet resources (Deakins & Freel 2012, p.9). By 2013, this industry had been estimated to be worth over $5.1 billion. The concept

Three periods of the history of the Church Research Paper

Three periods of the history of the Church - Research Paper Example To begin with, let us look at the traditions and the way of life of the early church. The early church period that we are looking at is the period from 70 A.D, when the church was begun, up to 325 A.D when the first council of Nicaea was held. During this period of time, the tradition of the Catholic Church can be explained as follows (History of the Early Church, web.). In terms of their doctrine and their faith, the Christians of the early church believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, sent by God to the world for the redemption of humanity. The Christians of the early Church, also, believed in the afterlife, and for this reason their main priority in life was living in accordance with the teachings of their master, Jesus Christ, so as to enter the kingdom of God. The Christians of the early church, also, broke the bread, in remembrance of their master, as their master Jesus Christ had taught them. Breaking the break, therefore, was an integral part of the lives of the early Christians. Christians of the early church, also, set dates for the celebration of various Christian feasts and they also celebrated various Christian feasts like the Easter. During the early church period, the Catholic Church taught that the reading and the interpretation of the Scripture was a sole prerogative of the clergy. For that reason, the laity were discouraged from reading the Scriptures.

Animals In Captivity Essay Example for Free

Animals In Captivity Essay In 2008 at the Singapore Zoo, three white Bengal tigers attacked and mauled a zoo cleaner, Nordin bin Mondongto, to death after the man walked through a moat surrounding their enclosure. Researchers asked themselves what would be the cause of these vicious behaviors being reported from many zoos across the globe, the answer being the harsh environment zoo animals are surrounded by. Many people are not aware of the harsh treatment the animals endure. Zoos, circuses, and famous attractions like SeaWorld do not offer the best of circumstances for their animals. These uncomfortable conditions may be the cause of the hundreds of violent behaviors being reported by zoos around the world. Of course, most families enjoy taking a trip to the zoo because they offer a unique experience of encountering exotic animals. However, people need to realize that animals are living creatures that should not be forced into show, or held behind glass walls to be gawked at. The first point that this essay will address is the simple fact that zoo owners have propaganda in mind, and not preservation. â€Å"Zoos help save endangered species, by saving hurt animals and rehabilitating them,† is an excuse many zoo officials use. Zoos claim to want to protect species from extinction, which sounds like a noble goal, but zoo officials usually favor exotic or popular animals, rather than threatened or endangered local wildlife. The Chinese government, for example, â€Å"rents† pandas to zoos worldwide for fees of more than $1 million per year. It is questi onable whether the profits are being directed toward panda-conservation efforts at all. Also, because tigers are the most favorable â€Å"crowd pleasers,† recent studies prove that there are more tigers in captivity than those that exist in the wild. There are thought to be between 5,000 and 10,000 tigers in U.S. cages and 90% of them are in miserable roadside zoos, backyard breeder facilities, circus wagons and pet homes. Before long, the few tigers left in the wild will wither off, and the animals in captivity will not be able to be relocated and thrive in their what-once-was natural environment. Next, the reader should know that the animals that are said to be â€Å"in their natural habitat,† are in confined areas that are less than a tenth of the area they would naturally be in, and are restricted by many factors. Birds’ wings may be clipped so that they cannot fly, aquatic animals often go without adequate water, and many animals who naturally live in large herds or family groups are kept isolated. Animals are closely confined, lack privacy, an d have  little opportunity for mental stimulation or physical exercise. These abnormal conditions often result in abnormal and self-destructive behavior, known as â€Å"zoochosis.† An Oxford University study based on decades of observing animals in captivity and in the wild found that animals such as polar bears, lions, tigers, and cheetahs â€Å"show the most evidence of stress and/or psychological dysfunction in captivity† and concluded that â€Å"the keeping of naturally wide-ranging carnivores should be either fundamentally improved or phased out.† Last but not least, the reader should know that keeping animals in captivity is not the only danger posed at the zoo. Even when the animals are bred in captivity, generations later, exotic animals will retain all of their natural instincts. They cannot be considered â€Å"domesticated† or â€Å"tamed.† Every year, captive, exotic animals are involved in incidents in which humans are injured or even killed. In 2007, Tatiana, a Siberian tiger, escaped her substandard enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo and was shot to death after she killed one person and injured two others. This was not the only fatal incident occurring because of the animals being held in captivity. On February 26, 2010, a 12,000 lb. Orca whale called Tilikum mauled and killed his trainer Dawn Brancheau at SeaWorld during a performance. Also, in Colorado, on April 24, 2009, a volunteer was vigorously mauled by a tiger at â€Å"Big Cats of Serenity Springs.† The list of these aggressive outbreaks goes on and on. Researchers say that the awful conditions animals are unnatural and are the cause of animals expressing abnormal behaviors. Zoos may be fun for the family, but are definitely not fun for the animals. Taking animals out of their natural habitat, forcing them to live miserable lifestyles, and putting humans at risk is not worth a fun family trip to the zoo. Treating living creatures like they have no feelings is never okay and should be considered inhumane. Zoos need to be exposed as the pitiful prisons they are, and actions should be imposed to stop the animal abuse. Works Cited Captive Wildlife Crisis | WildAnimalSanctuary.org : Americas Premier Sanctuary For Large Carnivores. Captive Wildlife Crisis | WildAnimalSanctuary.org : Americas Premier Sanctuary For Large Carnivores. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. . Get The Facts:. Ten Fast Facts about Captive Exotic Animals. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. . News Facts. The Tiger Next Door. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2007. . Zoos: Pitiful Prisons. PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. .

Thessalonians Essay -- Bible, Paul of Tarsus

1 Thessalonians is a pastoral letter written by Paul of Tarsus to the recently formed Christian community of Thessalonica. The letter, written in response to concerns of the newly converted Gentiles, offers encouragement and support, and addresses specific issues and problems they were confronted with. Paul begins his letter by giving thanks for the Thessalonians’ faith, love, and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. They have â€Å"turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven...† (1 Thessalonians: 9-10). Paul assures the people that he brings the message of the gospel of God to them. This is to set himself apart from others who may have come preaching to them from â€Å"deceit or impure motives or trickery† (1 Thess. 2:3). Paul identifies himself as countercultural and works throughout 1Thessalonians to show the new Christians that they too are called to live a countercultural life as well, â€Å"worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.† (1 Thess. 2:12) because they have accepted the word of God, which is working within them to shape their new identity as Christians. Paul’s belief in the living and true God with the message of the gospel of God exhibits his monotheistic belief and re jection of idols. Paul knows that these Thessalonians are first-generation converts living among many idol-worshipping Gentiles. Because they are Christians, they can no longer attend pagan festivals, worship other gods, or possibly even continue to buy their meats from the local butcher, because the meat may have been an offering of sacrifice to idols. Paul recognizes they have become social outcasts, no longer Gentiles; they are called to live differently now. Paul had forewarned t... ...or non-violence; do not repay evil with evil, do good to all. He exhorts the people to rejoice, pray, and give thanks, as this is the will of God. â€Å"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the word of prophets, but test everything, hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.† (1 Thess. 5: 19-22) Paul again is instructional and tells them to let the Spirit flow in and among them, don’t stop it. Let the Spirit flow in their community in their actions and let people speak because they might have a message from Jesus. Paul is telling them to keep close to what is good and protect themselves from evil, relating again to the spiritual warfare, moral vigilance and living a countercultural life. He ends with a command by God that his letter be shared among the community and calls upon the grace of God to remain with the Thessalonians’ community.

How to Become a Good Communicator

How to become a good communicator? I want to start my topic with the quotation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery: â€Å"There’s only one true luxury, and that is the luxury of human relations†. I think lots of people would agree with this statement because human relations are one of the most important things in our lives. Relations are communication – communication in a family, communication with friends, communication at work and so on. I want to emphasize on communication at work because communication in an organization is one of the hardest nuts to crack in business today. Communication has an enormous influence on business, it comes up in every company, every department. The repercussions of not communicating are vast. And it’s clear that face-to-face communication is far more important than any others. It can’t be beaten. That’s why it’s necessary to be a good communicator. Good communicators have always been a valuable asset for any business. When speaking, they are good at giving information. They don’t confuse their listener; they make their points clearly and try to avoid technical terms, abbreviations or jargon. Furthermore, although they may digress and leave the main point, they will not ramble and lose sight of their main message. Good communicators also really listen to people and take in what is said. So, to sum up, I’d like to mention that really effective communicators, who have the ability to engage with colleagues, employees, customers and suppliers, are highly appreciated in business nowadays. In conclusion I’d like to say that good communication is trust to each other and the quotation of Fransua de Laroshfuko proves it: â€Å"Trust helps the conversation much more than intellect†.

Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity Essay

This book tells about the integrating Christianity and psychology. The author discusses integration a combining the two books of God. According to Entwistle (2004), â€Å"the book of god’s Word referred to the Bible, and the book of God’s works reflects His deeds written throughout His creation. (p. 166). † He includes five models of integration in the book which are: enemies, spies, colonialists, neutral parties, and allies as subjects of One Sovereign. The enemies model sees Christianity and psychology as enemies that need to be kept totally separate. The spies model has one discipline going into the other to take only what works for them. Psychology would enter the Christian world just to take the religious concepts that will work well with psychology. The colonialist model has one discipline colonizing or taking control and prominence over the other. Religion works with psychology as long as religion is superior to psychology. The neutral parties model has both disciplines coexisting and recognizing each other as long as they respect each others’ boundaries. Psychology recognizes that religion has good concepts to offer but it will not encroach on the religion’s domain. The allies as subjects of One Sovereign model have both disciplines working together to help people. It uses psychological and theological concepts together to gain a better understanding of the truth. According to Entwistle (2004), â€Å"God gave birth to the subject of psychology (human behavior) when he created human beings. God granted us the foundations of theology when He gave us His Word (p. 175). † The book tells us that there are two books of God: His word and His works (Entwistle, 2004). Psychology deals with God’s works and theology deals with His word. Our job as Christian counselors is to interpret both books and integrate them together so that we can use both books to help our clients. If we find something that does not make sense between both books, there is a conflict that needs to be resolved before we can use it. At this point, we need to go back and reread and study both books to see if we can find the discrepancy. Entwistle (2004) says that god gave us both books, but we have to interpret them ourselves. The problem is not with God’s books, but it is the way we interpret them. Human understanding of God’s books is based on our worldview (Entwistle, 2004). To properly integrate the two disciplines, we need to have a good understanding of both. We cannot just know theology or psychology and expect to integrate them well. We need to have a working knowledge of psychological theories and concepts as well as a working knowledge of God’s word. We need to remember, though, that our knowledge is only as good as our interpretation. God’s works have been affected by the fall into sin, and as a work of God our interpretations will be colored by the fall as well. I think this book has a lot of good ideas and concepts to it. I found it interesting to discuss the two books of God, because I had heard the term and knew what it meant, but had not really thought about what it included. I also liked the models of integration and their explanations. They were explained well enough that anyone could follow them easily. Some of the things that bothered me the most about the book and its ideas are: the idea of interpretation, the definition of integration, and where do we go from here. If we are the interpreters of God’s two books and we know that the fall and sin have colored our interpretations, how do we know if our interpretations of the books are correct? Can we interpret either book accurately? If our interpretations are wrong, can we do more harm than good to our clients? Is the definition of integration complete enough to help us know what we need to help others? When we use the current definitions of integration, do we get a complete picture of what integration means to both disciplines? With all of the models of integration, where do we go next? How do we make progress in the integration process? Can we ever integrate to a point where we can agree on most aspects of a model, or will there always be disagreement between the disciplines? These are all questions that I think are important to consider about integration. I think that integrating Christianity and psychology can benefit a Christian client by allowing us to address spiritual matters and use spiritual techniques for healing. It is important to remember that religion and psychology are both parts of God’s truth to us and can be used to help ourselves and others. When the two disciplines are integrated, we have many more options than when we use one or the other discipline separately. Finally use of both disciplines can help us reach people of faith as well as people who are not Christians, if we can use them both carefully and competently.

Juvenile Justice Reform Essays - Legal Procedure, Criminal Procedure

Juvenile Justice Reform Essays - Legal Procedure, Criminal Procedure Juvenile Justice Reform Law Juvenile Justice Reform Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Reform: A Step in the Wrong Direction Juvenile Justice THESIS STATEMENT: The Great and General Court of Massachusetts has erred in reforming the juvenile justice system by implementing policies and procedures that will harm juveniles and place society at risk. On July 23, 1995, an intruder brutally attacked and stabbed Janet Downing approximately 100 times in her Somerville home. The revolting Downing murder and ensuing arrest of Edward O'Brien Jr., a 15-year-old juvenile whom prosecutors say committed the heinous crime, sent shockwaves through the state. When Somerville District Court Judge Paul P. Hefferman ruled that the Commonwealth try Mr. O'Brien as a juvenile, those shockwaves grew in intensity, and the citizens of Massachusetts, fed up with increasing youth violence and perceptions of an ineffective juvenile justice system, demanded the enactment of tough new laws to deal with repeat and violent juvenile offenders. The Great and General Court of Massachusetts headed these demands for reform of the juvenile justice system and enacted legislation that, among other things, abolishes the trial de novo system in the juvenile courts, requires the trial of juveniles charged with murder, manslaughter, aggravated rape, forcible rape of a child, kidnaping, assault with intent to rob or murder and armed burglary in adult court and permits prosecutors to open to the public juvenile proceedings when they seek an adult sentence. Although proponents tout these measures as a sagacious solution for the vexatious problem of juvenile delinquency, abolishing the trial de novo system, providing for automatic adult trials and opening juvenile proceedings to the public when prosecutors seek an adult sentence works to the detriment, not the benefit, of juveniles and society. Therefore, the policy makers of Massachusetts should repeal most sections of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act and develop other policies to deal with the rising problem of juvenile crime. I. A SINGLE TRIAL SYSTEM PREVENTS COURTS FROM PROVIDING RAPID ASSISTANCE TO JUVENILES IN NEED, DOES LITTLE TO SERVE JUDICIAL ECONOMY AND PLACES A SIMILAR BURDEN AS THE DE NOVO SYSTEM ON VICTIMS AND WITNESSES. Proponents of a single trial system for juveniles argue that the trial de novo system wastes judicial resources by giving defendants a second bite at the apple and traumatizes victims and witnesses by forcing them to testify at two proceedings. However, these proponents fail to acknowledge that the de novo system allows judges to quickly provide juveniles with the rehabilitative help they need. The proponents, unsurprisingly, also fail to acknowledge that a single trial system may place a greater burden on judicial resources and a similar burden on victims and witnesses. The de novo system benefits juveniles by encouraging bench trials, which frequently result in the swift administration of rehabilitative help. For many juveniles, delinquency is a reaction to a variety of situational stressors. Statistics indicate that the vast majority of juvenile delinquents are exposed to abuse and neglect, harsh or erratic parenting, and socioeconomic deprivation. Experts believe that if the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate juveniles and make them productive members of our society, it must address these problems as swiftly as possible. A de novo system encourages juveniles, many of whom want judicial help, to request a bench trial. Likewise, under a de novo system, defense attorneys are encouraged to recommend an initial bench trial because the court's decision does not bind clients if it is not in their interest. On the other hand, a single trial system discourages juveniles and defense attorneys from requesting a bench trial. Because jury trials are more lengthy than bench trials and may drag out for over a year, the current policy of encouraging juveniles to seek an initial jury trial denies them the rehabilitative help they need for a significant period of time. Therefore, the de novo system is the preferred choice when dealing with juveniles because it encourages bench trials and, concomitantly, the swift administration of rehabilitative help. As noted earlier, one of the primary arguments for doing away with the de novo system is that it wastes judicial resources. However, upon closer examination one realizes that the de novo system actually furthers judicial economy. Under a de novo system, procedural safeguards can be done away with or relaxed at bench trials without fear of violating rights of defendants. Courts have found the elimination of procedural safeguards at bench trials in a de novo system to be constitutional because the judiciary will extend all safeguards to the defendant at a new jury trial if he/she so chooses. Although no statistics could be found which indicate the number of defendants appealing de novo bench trial decision, a court

Juan Sebastián Elcano, Ferdinand Magellans Replacement

Juan Sebastin Elcano, Ferdinand Magellan's Replacement Juan Sebastin Elcano (1487–August 4, 1526) was a Spanish (Basque) sailor, navigator, and explorer best remembered for leading the second half of the first round-the-world navigation, having taken over after the death of Ferdinand Magellan. Upon his return to Spain, the King presented him with a coat of arms that contained a globe and the phrase: â€Å"You Went Around Me First.† Fast Facts: Juan Sebastian Elcano Known For: Leading the second half of Ferdinand Magellans first round-the-world navigation after Magellan diedBorn: 1487 in Guetaria, a fishing village in Gipuzkoa, SpainParents: Domingo Sebastian de Elcano and Dona Catalina del PuertoDied: August 4, 1526 at sea (Pacific Ocean)Spouse: NoneChildren: A son Domingo del Cano by Mari Hernandez de Hernialde and an unnamed daughter by Maria de Vidaurreta of Valladolid Early Life Juan Sebastin Elcano (in Basque; the Spanish spelling of his name is written as del Cano) was born in 1487 in Guetaria, a fishing village in the Guipuzcoa province of Spain. He was the eldest of nine children of Domingo Sebastian de Elcano and Dona Catalina del Puerto. He was related to the Gaiza de Arzaus and Ibarrola families, who held important positions in the Casa de Contratacion in Seville, the Spanish crowns agency for the Spanish empire, a thin but later useful family connection. Elcano and his brothers became seafarers, learning navigation by ferrying contraband goods to French ports. He was an adventurer, fighting with the Spanish Army in Algiers and Italy before settling down as captain/owner of a merchant ship. As a young man, however, he led a prodigal and wayward life and often had more debts than money to pay them. Italian companies demanded that he surrender his ship to cover his debts, but he later found he had broken Spanish law by doing so and had to ask the king for a pardon. Young King Charles V agreed, but on the condition that the skilled sailor and navigator (with good connections) serve with an expedition the king was funding: the search for a new route to the Spice Islands, led by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan. The Magellan Expedition Elcano was given the position of ship’s master on board the Concepcià ³n, one of five ships making up the fleet. Magellan believed that the globe was smaller than it actually is and that a shortcut to the Spice Islands (now known as the Maluku Islands in present-day Indonesia) was possible by going through the New World. Spices such as cinnamon and cloves were immensely valuable in Europe at the time and a shorter route would be worth a fortune to whoever found it. The fleet set sail in September 1519 and made its way to Brazil, avoiding Portuguese settlements due to hostilities between the Spanish and Portuguese. As the fleet made its way south along the coast of South America looking for a passage west, Magellan decided to call a halt in the sheltered bay of San Julin because he feared continuing on in bad weather. Left idle, the men began to talk of mutiny and returning to Spain. Elcano was a willing participant and had by then assumed command of the ship San Antonio. At one point, Magellan ordered his flagship to fire on the San Antonio. In the end, Magellan put down the mutiny and had many of the leaders killed or marooned. Elcano and others were pardoned, but not until after a period of forced labor on the mainland. To the Pacific Around this time, Magellan lost two ships: the San Antonio returned to Spain (without permission) and the Santiago sank, although all of the sailors were rescued. By this time, Elcano was captain of the Concepcià ³n, a decision by Magellan that probably had much to do with the fact that the other experienced ships captains had been executed or marooned after the mutiny or had gone back to Spain with the San Antonio. In October–November 1520, the fleet explored the islands and waterways at the southern tip of South America, eventually finding a passage through what is known today as the Strait of Magellan. According to Magellan’s calculations, the Spice Islands should have only been a few days of sailing away. He was badly mistaken: his ships took four months to cross the South Pacific. Conditions were miserable on board and several men died before the fleet reached Guam and the Marianas Islands and were able to resupply. Continuing westward, they reached the present-day Philippines in early 1521. Magellan found he could communicate with the natives through one of his men, who spoke Malay: they had reached the eastern edge of the world known to Europe. Death of Magellan In the Philippines, Magellan befriended the King of Zzubu, who was eventually baptized with the name of â€Å"Don Carlos.† Unfortunately, Don Carlos convinced Magellan to attack a rival chieftain for him, and Magellan was one of several Europeans killed in the ensuing battle. Magellan was succeeded by Duarte Barbosa and Juan Serrao, but both were treacherously killed by â€Å"Don Carlos† within a few days. Elcano was now second in command of the Victoria, under Juan Carvalho. Low on men, they decided to scuttle the Concepcià ³n and head back to Spain in the two remaining ships: the Trinidad and the Victoria. Return to Spain Heading across the Indian Ocean, the two ships made a stop in Borneo before finding themselves at the Spice Islands, their original goal. Packed with valuable spices, the ships set out again. About this time, Elcano replaced Carvalho as captain of the Victoria. The Trinidad soon had to return to the Spice Islands, however, as it was leaking badly and eventually sank. Many of the Trinidad’s sailors were captured by the Portuguese, although a handful managed to find their way to India and from there back to Spain. The Victoria sailed on cautiously, as they had gotten word that a Portuguese fleet was looking for them. Miraculously evading the Portuguese, Elcano sailed the Victoria back into Spain on September 6, 1522. By then, the ship was crewed by only 22 men: 18 European survivors of the voyage and four Asians they had picked up en route. The rest had died, deserted or, in some cases, been left behind as unworthy of sharing in the spoils of the rich cargo of spices. The King of Spain received Elcano and granted him a coat of arms bearing a globe and the Latin phrase Primus circumdedisti me, or â€Å"You Went Around Me First.† Death and Legacy In 1525, Elcano was picked to be the chief navigator for a new expedition led by the Spanish nobleman Garcà ­a Jofre de Loaà ­sa, who intended to retrace Magellan’s route and establish a permanent colony in the Spice Islands. The expedition was a fiasco: of seven ships, only one made it to the Spice Islands, and most of the leaders, including Elcano, perished of malnutrition during the arduous Pacific crossing. Elcano wrote a last will and testament, leaving money to his two illegitimate children and their mothers back in Spain, and died on August 4, 1526. Because of his elevation to noble status upon his return from the Magellan expedition, Elcano’s descendants continued to hold the title of Marquis for some time after his death. As for Elcano himself, he has unfortunately been mostly forgotten by history, as Magellan still gets all the credit for the first circumnavigation of the globe. Elcano, although well-known to historians of the Age of Exploration (or Age of Discovery), is little more than a trivia question to most, although there is a statue of him in his hometown of Getaria, Spain and the Spanish Navy once named a ship after him. Sources Fernandez de Navarrete, Eustaquio. Historia De Juan Sebastian Del Cano. Nicholas de Soraluce y Zubizarreta, 1872. Mariciano, R. De Borja. Basques in the Philippines. Reno: University of Nevada Press, 2005. Sebastian del Cano, Juan. Original of the Testament of Juan Sebastian Del Cano Made on Board the Ship, Victoria, One of the Ships of Comendador Garcia De Loaysa on Its Way to the South Sea. The Philippines under Spain; a Compilation and Translation of Original Documents. Book 1 (1518-1565): The Voyages of Discovery. Eds. Benitez Licuanan, Virginia and Josà © Llavador Mira. Manila: National Trust for Historical and Cultural Preservation of the Philippines, 1526 (1990). Thomas, Hugh. Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan. 1st edition, Random House, June 1, 2004.

The U.S Occupation of Japan (1945-1952) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The U.S Occupation of Japan (1945-1952) - Essay Example Domestic and Foreign Policy The first phase of occupation which roughly started after the end of the war from 1945 to 1947 involved the most fundamental changes that took place in Japan. America punished Japan due to its past expansion and militarism by convening war crimes in Tokyo. During this time, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) dismantled Japanese army and banned the military officers from taking roles in political roles in the government (Drohan, 2007). During this time, SCAP land reforms that were meant in providing equality in land ownership to the tenants were acquired from the landlords who supported the Japanese expansionism in the 1930s. Demilitarization and Democratization Demilitarization of Japan was a guarantee to the America that Japan would never engage in military activities. In the first two years of occupation, the industrialists and officers blamed for the war were a further hedge against a revanchist threat. Democratization was a process undertaken by Americans in Japan that no other occupation force had done before. The America performed the democratization process through remarking the social, political, cultural and economic fabric Japan and changed them based on their way of thinking (Aldous, n.d.). The tough initiative was in writing the constitution that was to be used in Japan and compelling its acceptance by the Japanese diet. One of the factors that proved the success of the occupation in Japan was the Constitution that was developed by the Americans.

Environmental Issues in Business Transactions Essay

Environmental Issues in Business Transactions - Essay Example In January 2000 after finalizing the purchased amount of seven million dollars and obtaining the assurance of Tyco that the Plant is compliant to existing environmental laws Shan finalized the acquisition of the Plant from Tyco. To reiterate this assurance the purchase contract stipulated that Tyco â€Å"will be responsible for any losses arising out of environmental clean-ups, fines or penalties†. After the purchase of the Plant, Shan discovered that it would cost more than two million dollars to make the Plant compliant to federal and state environmental laws. Shan also discovered that the potential fines and penalties for the non-compliance to environmental state and federal laws could amount to more than one billion dollars. Shan thru its owners tried in several instances to persuade Tyco to buy back the Plant at the same cost or pay for the necessary remediation cost to make the Plant comply with state and federal environmental laws. ... the final report was sent to the Chief Executive Officer of Tyco, the report was accompanied by a request from Shan for assistance in making the Plant compliant. However, Tyco ignored the report including the request. Thereafter, Shan reiterated its offer for Tyco to just buy back the Plant for the same amount it was bought to which, Tyco declined. In December 2003, Shan voluntarily reported to the Environmental Protection Agency that the Plant is not compliant to state and federal regulations. At around the same time Shan also met with the Tyco officials who promised to send documents that would prove that the Plant was in compliance with the regulations set by state and federal laws. Perusing over the documents sent over by Tyco it was determined that Tyco was not doing its responsibility to make sure that the Plant are compliant to regulations under state and federal environmental laws. On the last day of 2003, they filed a case against Tyco for breach of contract. In April 2004, the Plant was visited by state and federal environmental authorities and naturally found it non-compliant to environmental laws. It was determined that it was Tyco who suggested that environmental auditors examine the Plant. Based on their findings the state and federal environmental authorities issued a cease-and-desist order that affected forty percent of the Plant’s operating capacity. That could have greatly diminished its earning capacity thus its initiative to make the Plant compliant to environmental state and federal laws. In June 2004, Shan appealed the cease-and-desist order by asserting that the environmental problem was an issue inherited from Tyco, the previous owner. The appeal contained the findings of the independent consultants showing the extent of the violation in the