The Concept of Bureaucracy as an Effective System of Organization Essay - 1

The Concept of Bureaucracy as an Effective System of Organization - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that various descriptions and concepts have been developed regarding bureaucracy. From the definition, bureaucracy can be described as a management system intended to handle the affairs of the state and organize the relationship between the state and the citizens. Max Weber, a sociologist, described bureaucracy extensively, and his ideas are more or less acceptable. Some of his works include the Rational Efficient Organization. While political scientists describe bureaucracy as state administration, the economists use the term in describing the non-market organizations. Â  To some extent, most organizations have been bureaucratized. Our mechanistic thinking mode has shaped the basic concepts of what entails a good organization. Such thinking has played a major role in defining how an organization defines its responsibilities and accountability involved. According to theorists, institutions, and organizations, bureaucracy can adversely affe ct strategies regarding the way through which they want to achieve their objectives. However, at times, those organizations and institutions may tend to disagree on how to shape and reshape their interests and goals. From an organizational perspective, institutions and organizations can easily endow the individual actors with interests and goals on condition that some specific features of an organization remain in place. Bureaucracy gives bosses control over their subordinates and subordinates should, in turn, follow the instructions. As a result, subordination and control form the major section of a bureaucratic system to form the organizing principles guiding decisions, directing actions and determining the outcomes. Each employee should follow the instructions given to them by their seniors. Research shows that bureaucratic practices create in peoples’ mind lack of curiosity, making them function only within some limits based on set rules and regulations. The bureaucratic mind will, therefore, being in control, use the authority to control reformation ability of the system. In such a system, no person has the power of initiating any changes or proposing drastic changes that can disrupt prevailing peace and order.

Overview Of The Nigerian Financial Sector And Economy Finance Essay

Overview Of The Nigerian Financial Sector And Economy Finance Essay CHAPTER 2 Nigeria is one of the largest countries in Africa. It was a colony of the British Empire. In 1960, after the abolishment of the colonization, Nigeria became independent and a new country was established and ruled by Nigerians. This was viewed as an outstanding milestone in that Nigeria at that time was viewed as one of the African countries with apparent growth potentials and it was believed that it will rise up to defend all other Africa countries dignity. However, this dream could neither be materialized nor actualized. Nigeria is known as a federal country, which consists of thirty-six different states and a federal capital territory. This nature of Nigeria came about due to the fact that Nigeria is a multi-cultural society, consisting of different ethnic groups with their respective languages and cultural identity. Nigeria is a culturally diverse country. Nigeria is a country blessed with vast mineral resources ranging from agricultural products which includes cash crops like coffee, pepper, cocoa, palm kernel, timber and rubber. Also mineral resources like tin, columbite, steel, bauxite, crude oil and natural gas are of vast availability. Amongst these; crude oil constitutes the largest revenue. Table 2.1 below contains the data for the economic and business environment which explains Nigeria at glance. Table 1: Overview of Nigerian Economic and Business Environment: The Economic Profile. 1 Land Area 923,773 Square kilometers 2 Population 140,000,000 3 GDP 140 Billion (2007) 4 GDP Growth 10% 5 GDP/H $1,200 6 % Petroleum to Total Revenue 95% 7 % Petroleum to Export Earnings 95% 8 Average Daily Output 2.3b/d 9 Oil Reserves 40bb 10 Gas Reserves 150 Trillion Cubic Meter. 11 Average Interest Rates 22% per annum 12 Average Inflation 17% 13 Exchange Rates N240/GBP $1 : N150 14 Major Trading Partners UK, USA, Spain, Germany, France and China. 15 Cost Of Capital 8.7 16 Country Rating BB by SP, Moody and Fitch. Source: Husaini Muhammad (2010), Pg.4. Given the economic profile above, one can discover all the indicators needed in seeing the strengths and weaknesses of the Nigerian financial sector and the economy at large. By looking at the land area, it can be seen that the huge population of 140 million people, which comprises of vast young population that are perceived to be productive labor force, both skilled and un-skilled since technical expertise is closely associated with the literacy level in a country which Nigeria has high level of illiteracy rate as indicated by most of the international organizations in their development reports such as the international monetary fund and the world bank. As can be seen from the report above, petroleum is one of the major exports which are in fact the main export that generates revenues for Nigeria. Nigeria is the 12th largest producer of petroleum in the world and the 8th largest exporter, and has the 10th largest proven reserves. (The country joined OPEC in 1971). Petroleum plays a large role in the Nigerian economy, accounting for 40% of GDP and 80% of Government earnings. However, agitation for better resource control in the Niger Delta, its main oil producing region, has led to disruptions in oil production and currently prevents the country from exporting at 100% capacity (Wikipedia, 2010) As the report shows, 95% of the revenue that is generated as a result of export is through petroleum and the rest of the 5% includes all other activities from different sectors such as the agriculture, services and so on. The revenue generated from the sale of petroleum is huge amounting to 44 billion USD, which in principle can be enough for the development of Nigeria infrastructure and other sectors as well. Yet upon the huge revenues from the oil sector, the GDP Per capita is relatively low compared to most of the countries in the world that are by far poorer than Nigeria in every aspect. Nigeria has been classified by the World Bank group as a lower middle income country. Also according to the Economist Intelligence Unit and the World Bank, Nigerian GDP at purchasing power parity has nearly doubled from $170.7Â  billion in 2005 to 292.6Â  billion in 2007. The GDP per head has jumped from $692 per person in 2006 to $1,754 per person in 2007 (Wikipedia, 2010). Almost Doubling of the GDP per head and GDP at purchasing power parity is a sign that Nigerian economy is doing well, because as we have known that these aggregate measures are the ones being used to access the growth potential and facts of a certain country, which therefore makes Nigeria a potential place for investment as a result of the certain improvements mentioned that took place. A clear sign shows that when GDP per capita increases and the purchasing power also increases, the welfare of the people is attached to that because the whole poverty index decreases as a result thereby increasing the living standards of Nigerians in general. The fact also shows that Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, the eighth most populous country in the world, and the most populous country in the world in which the majority of the population is black. It is listed among the Next Eleven economies, and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The economy of Nigeria is one of the fastest growing in the world, with the International Monetary Fund projecting a growth of 9% in 2008 and 8.3% in 2009 .It is the second largest economy in Africa, and is a regional power that is also the hegemon in West Africa (Wikipedia, 2010) This gives Nigerians privileged amongst their African counterparts. With the growth rate increasing from a lower figure to the level of 9%, even though it decreased by 0.7% is not that much but taking in to consideration that its an aggregate measure, this makes it very important because all sectors are included and therefore, the whole economy is taken into consideration. 2.2 The Formal Financial Sector Formal financial sector consists of all regulated financial institutions such as banks and insurance companies. What determines a formal financial sector changes from country to country because of the differences in the level of their respective economic developments. The way the formal financial sector is shaped depends on how market environment is perceived in a given country. Nigerian financial sector consists of different sections. These sections include: 2.2.1 The Regulatory Authorities The Nigerian Financial System comprises bank and non-bank financial institutions which are regulated by the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), National Insurance Commission (NIC), Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), and the National Board for Community Banks (NBCB).These agencies are briefly discussed below: The Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF): The Federal Ministry of Finance advises the Federal Government on its fiscal operation and co-operates with Central bank of Nigeria in monetary matter. Recent amendment to the laws of the Central Bank of Nigeria compels it to report through the Federal Ministry of Finance to the Presidency. This ministry serves as the centre where the whole economic activities are being viewed and also it acts as a linkage between the trades partnerships between Nigeria and the world. The minister who is dully in charge of all the financial as well as economic activities those are of interest to the Nigerian society. Also it serves as the centre that informs different business initiatives that are of particular interest on Nigeria. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN): This is the apex regulatory authority of the financial system. It was established by the Central Bank of Nigeria Act of 1958 and commenced operations on 1st July 1959. Among its primary functions, the Bank promotes monetary stability and a sound financial system, and acts as banker and financial advisor to the Federal Government, as well as banker of last resort to the banks. The Bank also encourages the growth and development of financial institutions. Enabling laws made in 1991, gave the Bank more flexibility in regulating and overseeing the banking sector and licensing finance companies which hitherto operated outside any regulatory framework. By the powers of the central bank of Nigeria, the whole economy and especially the financial sector is being regulated and overseen. This gives Nigerian financial sector, hence the banking sector a sound environment in which the banks and other financial sector actors performed well even during the recent e conomic down turn. The Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC): This compliments the regulatory and supervisory role of the central bank of Nigeria. It is however autonomous of the CBN and reports to Federal Ministry of Finance. The NDIC effectively took off in 1989 and was set up to provide deposit insurance and related services for banks in order to promote confidence in the banking industry. The NDIC is empowered to examine the books and affairs of insured banks and other deposit-taking financial institutions. Licensed banks are mandated to pay of 1% of their total deposit liabilities as insurance premium to the NDIC. A depositors claim is limited to maximum of N50, 000.00 in the event of a bank failure. The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN): The FMBN took over the assets and liabilities of the Nigerian Building Society. The FMBN provides banking and advisory services, and undertakes research activities pertaining to housing. Following the adoption of the National Housing Policy in 1990, The FMBN is empowered to license and regulate primary mortgage institutions in Nigeria and act as the apex regulatory body for the mortgage finance industry. The financing function of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria was carved out and transferred to the Federal Mortgage Finance, while the FMBN retains its regulatory role. The FMBN is under the control of the Central Bank. With this bank serving as the apex regulatory authority for the mortgage industry in Nigeria, investors have hugely invested in real estate and this has been in boom right from the adequate regulation of the mortgage sector in Nigeria. The Financial Services Coordinating Committee (FSCC): This is a committee established to co-ordinate the activities of all regulatory institutions in the financial system. The Committee is chaired by the Federal Minister of Finance. This committee is one of the important nails of the Nigerian financial sector because it reports on basis the strengths and shortcomings of the financial sector and the economy at large. By having that report as needed, and by co-operating with the legislative body which is the parliament, which is responsible for passing the budget allocation and its ratification, the whole financial system is being scanned to meet the needs of the present world and make the sector as competitive as possible with adequate regulations and supervisions. Figure 1: A Typical Nigerian Financial System Source: Husaini Muhammad (2010), Pg.8. 2.3 The Informal Financial Sector While the formal sector consists of the highly regulated portion of the economy that deals with the day-to-day operations of the economy, the informal sector as well play a very big and important role in the economy. Its true that the informal sector is un-regulated, and as a result, certain benefits that the economy get from different sectors is being missed, one cannot say that its not an important sector of the economy. This is because of the fact that the informal sector in some countries is perceived to be an added option when it comes to job opportunities. Job opportunities are almost endless when it comes to the informal sector perspective because anytime a person wants to enter it can be possible as a result of its nature of not being regulated and taken into consideration. Millions of dollars are being traded in the informal sector. Lets take an example of the black money market in Nigeria. This market consists of people selling and buying currencies and exchanging currencie s, which huge transactions takes place every day of the year. Why most of the time people prefer this sector and why that it disregards all the regulatory rules that are been exerted on those businesses called bureau de change which are dealing with the currency exchange. One can go directly and buy or sell any currency he/she wishes and leave in peace without giving any identity in carrying out the transaction. Traditionally, the informal sector in Nigeria comprises not only of the currency exchange market, it consists of different modes of transactions have been happening long periods of time. In the old days, inhabitants of different districts in Nigeria have their own ways of transacting currencies from one place to another, and these ways were all informal. Long before the arrival of the colonial powers, inhabitants in the country now called Nigeria were dealing with outside traders. This trade depends entirely of the closeness of the trade in terms of distance. For long time; the Arab caravan traders have penetrated the northern Nigeria since before the coming of the white colonial powers. This made them to know and get exposed to the world of gold as an object-serving like a currency for exchange of goods and services at that time. The southern part of Nigeria too had its on exposure with the white men, which its believed that they stayed there for decades before they penetrated to th e mainland Nigeria. By looking at the recent situations compared to the old days that I have discussed above, the situation some few decades changed as a result of the changing nature of the world itself due to different developments that took place. Clearly it has been observed that different ways of savings and business techniques developed amongst different ethnic entities in Nigeria. A common way where poor people used to save to gather money in order to use for the future, as its believed that poor people always have the thought of saving for the future because they always feel insecure that they are poor, with also cultural and religious beliefs that made the poor to save for their future welfare. In Nigeria, there used to be special kind of people who usually are informal groups that go round taking money from people in their job places, these kinds of people serve like the village bank, where they accept the money as deposit and save it for the people. This kind of agreement between the inhabitants of the respected area and the people going round to collect their money is in form of trust between them. Although it defers between community to community, the whole idea is the same which is deposit taking and saving, but what remains interesting here is that in some cases, these people that agree to save form group amongst them, and one or two people among them collect the money after it has been accumulated, usually they gather the money for some months, ranging from 6-12 months. The people that collect the money usually use it to boost their businesses and have agreements such as paying higher than what they have taken after some few month, which they are required to return b ack the money to the deposit taker, which another person among them will get the same and this procedure turns round and round. This is only one of the interesting cases because it gives us an insight of what informally the financial sector had been conducted in Nigerian villages and towns. These kinds of activities discussed above were those that gave rise to the need for the rural or remote area inhabitants to organize groups which are little bit stronger than the ones before. These groups were mainly in the form of Non-Governmental Organization NGOs that represent the interest of the inhabitants. Solidarity and trust were the main mechanism behind the driven force of these organizations. Moving from Southern to Northern Nigeria, these organizations became popular as every community wants to have a proper lead and a controlling leader that will prevent their business interests. Taking an example of the eastern part of Nigeria where is inhabited predominantly by the Igbo speaking tribe. Igbo people are known to have elders in their communities long before the western influence came to Nigeria. Apart from the elders, a king also is available. The elders are the king-makers, so they have the controlling power. These elders organize community groups which purposely protec t the businesses of the poor people from being bullied by the richer ones.so this is a typical example that can be seen as protection of the minority businesses against any monopolistic pressure from other bigger businesses around, hence one can conclude that this constitute the earlier version of micro-finance of a village think. These kinds of savings that the remote inhabitants engaged have been named differently among the ethnic groups in Nigeria. Generally there are three major ethnic groups in Nigeria which comprises of the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. These groups provide savings and credit services to their members. The informal microfinance arrangements operate under different names: esusu among the Yorubas of Western Nigeria, etoto for the Igbos in the East and adashi in the North for the Hausas (CBN, 2000). This became one of the main driven forces behind the establishments of the modern day micro-finance banks in Nigeria. The informal associations that operate traditional microfinance in various forms are found in all the rural communities in Nigeria (Otu, 2003). They also operate in the urban centers. However, the size of activities covered under the scheme has not been determined. 2.4 The Nigerian Banking System and Environment The Nigerian banking sector has been in existence right from the colonial era. The fact that Nigeria was a top producer of most of the needed cash crops by the colonial masters, it became an important need for the country to have a proper financial system that will be used in conducting the businesses efficiently. In 1892 Nigerias first bank, the African Banking Corporation, was established. No banking legislation existed until 1952, at which point Nigeria had three foreign banks (the Bank of British West Africa, Barclays Bank, and the British and French Bank) and two indigenous banks (the National Bank of Nigeria and the African Continental Bank) with a collective total of forty branches. A 1952 ordinance set standards, required reserve funds, established bank examinations, and provided for assistance to indigenous banks. Yet for decades after 1952, the growth of demand deposits was slowed by the Nigerian propensity to prefer cash and to distrust checks for debt settlements. (CIA, 1991). Since then,the Central Bank Of Nigeria has been the regulatory authorithy that oversees the whole banking system of nigeria in order to guarantee the soundness in the financial system.Since from its inception,many banks were given licences which could not perform well and some of them failed as a result of bad risk management or mis aapropriations of public funds.In the early years back some banks were reported to have weak capital base and some of them could not meet their daily liquidity needs,this rose the idea of tightening the regulatory standards of the establishing laws of the Central Bank Of Nigeria which led to the amendments of the CBN act in 1999 which restructure the banking system and tight risk management policies were implemented (CBN, Amendments Of CBNAct, 1999). As a result of adequate regulatory system by the CBN, in 2004 also another development took place. This development was aimed at a comprehensive change of the whole Nigerian banking industry, particularly the deposit money banks which are otherwise knows as conventional or traditional banks.These major key points and solutions were proposed by the CBN Governor and are indicated in Appendix A. With these amendments taken into force in 2005, which made the banks to have adequate capital base to at least begin to be able to regain their reputations in the eyes of world. Before the reforms, Nigerian banking sector stopped attracting international investors due to the higher country risk and inadequate regulatory rules on the banking sector. Many businesses were attracted as a result of the reforms which increased the soundness of the banking and hence the financial sector in Nigeria. As a result, some banks had to merge with others because they cannot meet the capital requirement of 25 Billion Naira set by the CBN. This reduced the total number of the banks from 89 to 24 in 2005 as a result of the reforms (CBN, Banking Supervision Annual Report, 2008). Below is a table showing some of the banks that merged and acquired other banks as reported by the CBN bank supervision annual report in 2008. Table 2: Resolution Of Private Sector Deposits for Acquiring and assumed Banks. Source: Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank Supervision Annual Report, (2008).Pg.24. However, by looking at the table 2 above, its understandable for the Nigerian banks to merge because they had less capital base to continue with their operations and be able to meet-up and compete with the rest of the world. The merging of the banks gave them strength in terms of capital and also variables like number of branches and employees and hence human capital and technical expertise increased. Even though that some of the banks had to close down totally, that did not affect the financial system negatively in terms of performance measures accessed of the banks, instead efficiency is fostered and more reliability is seen in the banking sector as the whole aggregate balance sheet structure of the banking system showed below: Table 3: Aggregate Balance Sheet Structure of the Nigerian Banking System Source: Central Bank of Nigeria Bank Supervision Annual Reports (2010), Pg.68. Clearly changes have been seen between the pre-mergers/recapitalization and post-mergers/recapitalization of the banks. The pre-merger period which was the year 2004, the annual growth of the entire banks in the system was 12.24 percent and in 2008 which is the recent post-merger period, the annual growth rate stood at 60.43 percent, even though in 2007, a negative growth of 12.78 percent was realized. Certainly, this was an outstanding performance that indicated the working of the mergers between the previous 89 banks in the system. This clearly shows that the merging of the banks to 24 banks in number had brought to the banking system of Nigeria a sound sense that is perceived as a component that will aid in regaining the long-eroded trust of the industry in the eyes of the world. Therefore, this was and still is a tremendous milestone in the history of the Nigerian banking system. Table 4 below shows the list of the current 24 banks that came to being as a result of the mergers between the previous 89 banks. Note that some of the banks maintained their positions and name due to the fact that they met up with the requirements setup by the CBN. Table 4: List of the Current Banks in Nigeria. Institution Name Type Of Institution Date Re-registered Date Licensed 1 Access Bank Nigeria Plc. Universal Bank 1/17/1990 1/17/1990 2 Afribank Nigeria Plc. Universal Bank 1/3/2006 1/3/2006 3 Citibank Nigeria Limited Universal Bank 10/11/2004 10/8/2004 4 Diamond Bank Nigeria Plc. Universal Bank 12/31/1990 12/31/1990 5 Ecobank Nigeria Plc. Universal Bank 4/24/1989 4/24/1989 6 Equitorial Trust Bank Plc. Universal Bank 1/2/2006 1/2/2006 7 Fidelity Bank Plc. Universal Bank 1/2/2006 1/2/2006 8 First Bank of Nigeria Plc. Universal Bank 1/29/1979 1/29/1894 9 First City Monument Bank Plc. Universal Bank 11/11/1983 11/11/1983 10 First Inland Bank Plc. Universal Bank 1/2/2006 1/2/2006 11 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. Universal Bank 1/17/1990 1/17/1990 12 Intercontinental Bank Plc. Universal Bank 10/2/1989 10/2/1989 13 Oceanic Bank International Nigeria Plc. Universal Bank 1/31/2006 3/20/2000 14 Platinum Habib Bank Plc. Universal Bank 5/2/2001 5/2/2001 15 Skye Bank Plc. Universal Bank 1/3/2006 1/3/2006 16 Spring Bank Plc. Universal Bank 1/3/2006 1/3/2006 17 Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc. Universal Bank 1/2/2006 1/2/2006 18 Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Plc. Universal Bank 12/1/2004 6/9/1999 19 Sterling Bank Plc. Universal Bank 1/25/1999 11/25/1960 20 Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. Universal Bank 1/2/2006 1/2/2006 21 United Bank For Africa Plc. Universal Bank 1/2/2006 1/2/2006 22 Unity Bank Plc. Universal Bank 1/2/2006 1/2/2006 23 Wema Bank Plc. Universal Bank 1/18/1965 1/17/1945 24 Zenith Bank Plc. Universal Bank 9/13/2004 6/20/1990 Source: Central Bank of Nigeria, (2010).

Kino, a poor Indian fisherman :: essays research papers

Kino, a poor Indian fisherman, lives on the Gulf of California with his wife Juana and son Coyotito. Their simple hut is made of brush, and the couple sleeps on mats thrown on the dirt floor, while Coyotito sleeps in a hanging box. Like others in their poor village, they depend on nature for survival. As The Pearl begins, dawn is breaking. Kino watches the sun rise and listens to the sounds of the morning. But within moments, a dangerous situation develops. A poisonous scorpion stings Coyotito, Kino's infant son, and the baby's screams draw people from all over the village. Juana insists that the doctor be called, but Kino knows the physician is Spanish and considers himself above treating poor Indians. This does not satisfy Juana, who announces that if the doctor will not come to the village, then they will go to his house. But the doctor refuses to treat Coyotito because Kino is too poor. Later that day, while Kino and Juana are fishing in the Gulf, Kino finds an enormous pearl and cries out in joy. He believes the pearl will make him rich and enable him to provide security for his family. But Kino discovers otherwise. The pearl stirs envy in the villagers, and that night Kino is attacked in his hut by a thief. The following day, he tries to sell the pearl to buyers in town, but he is offered only a small amount of money for it. The buyers all work for the same man. They know the pearl is worth a fortune but hope to buy it cheaply by pretending that it is worth little. Kino says he will sell his pearl in the capital city, where he believes he will get a fair price. This amazes the villagers because Kino has never traveled so far. After dark that evening, Kino is attacked again. Juana is sure the pearl is evil and will destroy the family. During the night, she quietly removes it from the spot where Kino has hidden it and tries to throw it back into the ocean. He stops her before she succeeds and beats her for trying. As he returns to the hut, Kino is attacked again, this time by two men. He kills one of them, and the other escapes. Because of the killing, Kino knows that he will be hunted as a murderer. As a result, he and Juana must leave the village the next

Fj Benjamin

FJ Benjamin Holdings Ltd# (SGX: FJB) 18 July 2012 Receding tides at the fashion and timepieces retailer UNDERWEIGHTTarget Price: S$ 0. 09 Price (as at 18 July 2012) | Bloomberg| 12-month Range| Market Capitalization| S$ 0. 33| SGD 0. 3300| SGD 0. 26 – 0. 365| SGD 203 Million| 3 Points that convince us of a Sell rating: * Something 1 Explanation * Something 2 Explanation * Something 3 Explanation Year End: Jul| 3QFY11Results| 3QFY12Results| YoY % Growth| YTD % as of FY2012| Revenue (S$’000)| | | | | Retail| | | | | Distribution| | | | | Licensing| | | | | Gross Profit| | | | |Gross Margin| | | | | EBIT (S$’000)| | | | | EBIT Margin| | | | | Net Profit| | | | | Net Margin| | | | | EPS| | | | | DPS| | | | | NAV/Share| | | | | Headquartered in Singapore, SGX-listed F J Benjamin Holdings Ltd. (FJB) builds in-house and develops international lifestyle and luxury brands across Asia and recently in the Western markets too. With a portfolio of over 20 celebrated brands, t he group divides itself into four core businesses: 1. Luxury and Lifestyle Fashion Retailing and Distribution; 2. Timepiece Distribution; 3. Design and Manufacturing of their in-house brand RAOUL . Investing in Lifestyle Concepts Section I: Industry Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Wide retail network FJB operates 191 stores across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia in prime locations to cater to its premium customers and tourists and help maintain the competitiveness of the Group. Wide diversified luxury and lifestyle brand portfolio The brand portfolio comprises over 20 iconic luxury and lifestyle brands. A diversified portfolio of scalable brands helps the Group mitigate the vulnerability of luxury brands in an economic downturn.Multilingual retail staff improves customer service * FJB believes in investing heavily in retail staff training to increase service quality and language proficiency to serve tourists who visit the stores from various regions. Strong balance she et and positive cash flow allow FJB to fund its CAPEX plans FJB maintained SGD7. 7m of net cash at the end of FY2012 despite incurring capital expenditure rising by 8% due to the opening and refurbishment of stores Weaknesses Geographic diversity and exposure to high tax rates FJB Operates in 190 stores across the world.With many stores located in Malaysia and China, where the effective tax rate is close to 30%, FJB faces a high tax bill and thus lower overall profits. Highly cyclical earnings FJB’s earnings are highly cyclical and they tend to peak in the late stages of a cyclical upturn. This translates into a risk of over expansion during good times. FJB’s total revenue increased 38% YoY for FY 2007. Poor presence and performance in Australia, Europe and North America FBJ classifies it’s geographical segments into South East Asia, North Asia and Other, which includes their franchised brands in North America and Australia.This segment has historically made up less than 2% of total revenue. Opportunities Strong brand name of RAOUL FJB’s proprietary brand was one of the brands topping the high fashion category in a recent Mystery Shopping Survey. It has grown well over the last few years as FJB was able to raise RAOUL’s brand value and expand the business to Europe and the United States. New international brands to accelerate earnings potential The Group is working to bring in affordable international fashion brands. Recently, the Group signed an exclusive distribution agreement with the Padini Group for VNC shoes to venture into the growing Indonesian market.Threats Competition The majority of FJB’s competitors operate with large store numbers (Esprit – 1,128, Dickson Concepts – more than 1,000, WINGT – more than 180, Metro – 879,000 square feet). The rise of blogshops in the SE Asia have also increased competition within the industry. Macroeconomic instability Macroeconomic instability thr eatens growth. Grim economic sentiment worldwide poses an explicit threat to FJB’s growth as it caters to the premium fashion retailing market. Porter’s Five Forces Highly competitive climateOur team analyzed the macroeconomic conditions and the special characteristics of the fashion retail industry, we have determined that FJ Benjamin operates in a highly competitive market. The largest drivers of competition are the degree of rivalry, new entrants and the supplier power. Exposure to foreign currency shocks and the threats from competing businesses are substantial factors to look out for. Buyer Power (High) Buyer Power (High) Supplier Power (Strong) Supplier Power (Strong) Substitutes (Moderate) Substitutes (Moderate) New Entrants (High) New Entrants (High)Degree of Rivalry (Strong) Degree of Rivalry (Strong) Many competitors offering diverse choices Many competitors offering diverse choices Low customer loyalty in retail industry Low customer loyalty in retail indust ry Many firms competing for market share Many firms competing for market share Saturated Market Saturated Market Price inelasticity Price inelasticity High product differentiation High product differentiation High Capital Outlay High Capital Outlay Fall in brand perception will result in customer turnover Fall in brand perception will result in customer turnoverIncreasing wealth may lead to consumers using premium brands Increasing wealth may lead to consumers using premium brands Healthy relationships with suppliers to sustain franchises Healthy relationships with suppliers to sustain franchises Constantly changing fashion trends Constantly changing fashion trends Exposure to foreign currency shocks Exposure to foreign currency shocks High marketing expenditure needed to maintain brand perception High marketing expenditure needed to maintain brand perception Section II: Accounting Analysis & Adjustments Accounting Analysis – Faithful representationThe auditors’ report demonstrated that the accounts present a true and fair view of the company. It is noteworthy that it was highlighted in the corporate governance report that there are no employees who are relatives of directors paid above $150,000. In addition, all members of the nomination, remuneration and audit committee are independent non-executive directors. There is also a whistle-blowing policy for the Group, which encourages a high level of non-tolerance against fraud. There was also adequate disclosure of interested transactions between its subsidiaries and its newly acquired associate prior to the acquisition.However, a potential conflict of interest in the area of the risk management committee, which usually comprises majority of non-executive directors, but in the case of MPM, is managed by executive directors. There might be the possibility of them not being objective in assessing the risks that the company faces. Understandability There is thorough explanation of accounting policies adopted in the notes, supplemented with definitions of accounting terms where appropriate. While the assets and liabilities of associates are mentioned, no further breakdown is given as to the comprisal of them.Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries are also absent from the notes. This applies for jointly controlled entities too. It was hard to determine where personnel expenses and the disclosures under profit before income tax fall into the income statement, making it confusing how to account for them. The cash figure in the balance sheet and cash flow statement differed due to fixed deposits, bank overdraft and pledged fixed deposits and bank balances, making forecasting of financial statements relatively inconvenient. ComparabilityThere is clear disclosure when amendments are made to FRS, accompanied with a statement whether the change is applied retrospectively or prospectively, as well as the materiality of the amounts presented. Where changes are to be expected, these are sta ted beforehand with their effective period of commencement stated methodically. Details of other operating expenses were provided in the notes from 2009 to 2011, but absent in the notes in 2007 and 2008, making comparison of detailed expenses difficult. Segment reporting was available to enable investors to compare across companies that might be similar to MPM in one of their business segments.Accounting Distortions Adjusted Non-recurring items The notes were inspected to identify line items that could potentially be non-recurring and should thus be removed from the financial statements to provide a clearer picture of the sustainable earnings of the company. Items recognized as non-recurring included bad debts written off, investment in associate, and other expenses in which no details were given. Other possible non-recurring items included government grant received, though this could possibly recur due to the achievement of the conditions under the Capability Development Scheme in 2010.Foreign exchange gain was also thought of to be recurring due to the entrance into forward currency contracts. Equity to proportionate consolidation MPM’s subsidiary Marco Polo Shipping Co Pte Ltd holds a 49% stake in PT Pelayaran Nasional Bina Buana Raya (BRR), an Indonesian shipping company which engages in ship agency, chartering and transshipment of vessels. The 49% stake is the maximum equity stake allowed to be taken by a foreigner without affecting the ability of BBR to ply the Indonesian waters as a domestic shipping company.By the substance over form principle, Marco Polo has effective control over BRR, thus we carried out proportionate consolidation on the entity. Joint ventures were also consolidated to provide a more accurate picture of the group. Operating leases MPM has several operating leases with lease period not amounting to more than 5 years. The leases were capitalized based on the implicit interest rate in the finance leases, except for 2008, where a figure of interest expenses over beginning long term debt was used, due to the absence of finance leases in 2007.Capitalizing the operating lease would result in a more accurate representation of liabilities and assets. Guarantees and litigations MPM was involved in two lawsuits over the period under purview. One involved $106,000 for late delivery of vessels while the other involved arbitration against a subsidiary of the Company in relation to certain charter party disputes. These were included in contingent liabilities during 2007 and 2008 respectively, though in the opinion of the directors, both lawsuits had no merit or basis and would not have financial impact on the company. Fj Benjamin FJ Benjamin Holdings Ltd# (SGX: FJB) 18 July 2012 Receding tides at the fashion and timepieces retailer UNDERWEIGHTTarget Price: S$ 0. 09 Price (as at 18 July 2012) | Bloomberg| 12-month Range| Market Capitalization| S$ 0. 33| SGD 0. 3300| SGD 0. 26 – 0. 365| SGD 203 Million| 3 Points that convince us of a Sell rating: * Something 1 Explanation * Something 2 Explanation * Something 3 Explanation Year End: Jul| 3QFY11Results| 3QFY12Results| YoY % Growth| YTD % as of FY2012| Revenue (S$’000)| | | | | Retail| | | | | Distribution| | | | | Licensing| | | | | Gross Profit| | | | |Gross Margin| | | | | EBIT (S$’000)| | | | | EBIT Margin| | | | | Net Profit| | | | | Net Margin| | | | | EPS| | | | | DPS| | | | | NAV/Share| | | | | Headquartered in Singapore, SGX-listed F J Benjamin Holdings Ltd. (FJB) builds in-house and develops international lifestyle and luxury brands across Asia and recently in the Western markets too. With a portfolio of over 20 celebrated brands, t he group divides itself into four core businesses: 1. Luxury and Lifestyle Fashion Retailing and Distribution; 2. Timepiece Distribution; 3. Design and Manufacturing of their in-house brand RAOUL . Investing in Lifestyle Concepts Section I: Industry Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Wide retail network FJB operates 191 stores across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia in prime locations to cater to its premium customers and tourists and help maintain the competitiveness of the Group. Wide diversified luxury and lifestyle brand portfolio The brand portfolio comprises over 20 iconic luxury and lifestyle brands. A diversified portfolio of scalable brands helps the Group mitigate the vulnerability of luxury brands in an economic downturn.Multilingual retail staff improves customer service * FJB believes in investing heavily in retail staff training to increase service quality and language proficiency to serve tourists who visit the stores from various regions. Strong balance she et and positive cash flow allow FJB to fund its CAPEX plans FJB maintained SGD7. 7m of net cash at the end of FY2012 despite incurring capital expenditure rising by 8% due to the opening and refurbishment of stores Weaknesses Geographic diversity and exposure to high tax rates FJB Operates in 190 stores across the world.With many stores located in Malaysia and China, where the effective tax rate is close to 30%, FJB faces a high tax bill and thus lower overall profits. Highly cyclical earnings FJB’s earnings are highly cyclical and they tend to peak in the late stages of a cyclical upturn. This translates into a risk of over expansion during good times. FJB’s total revenue increased 38% YoY for FY 2007. Poor presence and performance in Australia, Europe and North America FBJ classifies it’s geographical segments into South East Asia, North Asia and Other, which includes their franchised brands in North America and Australia.This segment has historically made up less than 2% of total revenue. Opportunities Strong brand name of RAOUL FJB’s proprietary brand was one of the brands topping the high fashion category in a recent Mystery Shopping Survey. It has grown well over the last few years as FJB was able to raise RAOUL’s brand value and expand the business to Europe and the United States. New international brands to accelerate earnings potential The Group is working to bring in affordable international fashion brands. Recently, the Group signed an exclusive distribution agreement with the Padini Group for VNC shoes to venture into the growing Indonesian market.Threats Competition The majority of FJB’s competitors operate with large store numbers (Esprit – 1,128, Dickson Concepts – more than 1,000, WINGT – more than 180, Metro – 879,000 square feet). The rise of blogshops in the SE Asia have also increased competition within the industry. Macroeconomic instability Macroeconomic instability thr eatens growth. Grim economic sentiment worldwide poses an explicit threat to FJB’s growth as it caters to the premium fashion retailing market. Porter’s Five Forces Highly competitive climateOur team analyzed the macroeconomic conditions and the special characteristics of the fashion retail industry, we have determined that FJ Benjamin operates in a highly competitive market. The largest drivers of competition are the degree of rivalry, new entrants and the supplier power. Exposure to foreign currency shocks and the threats from competing businesses are substantial factors to look out for. Buyer Power (High) Buyer Power (High) Supplier Power (Strong) Supplier Power (Strong) Substitutes (Moderate) Substitutes (Moderate) New Entrants (High) New Entrants (High)Degree of Rivalry (Strong) Degree of Rivalry (Strong) Many competitors offering diverse choices Many competitors offering diverse choices Low customer loyalty in retail industry Low customer loyalty in retail indust ry Many firms competing for market share Many firms competing for market share Saturated Market Saturated Market Price inelasticity Price inelasticity High product differentiation High product differentiation High Capital Outlay High Capital Outlay Fall in brand perception will result in customer turnover Fall in brand perception will result in customer turnoverIncreasing wealth may lead to consumers using premium brands Increasing wealth may lead to consumers using premium brands Healthy relationships with suppliers to sustain franchises Healthy relationships with suppliers to sustain franchises Constantly changing fashion trends Constantly changing fashion trends Exposure to foreign currency shocks Exposure to foreign currency shocks High marketing expenditure needed to maintain brand perception High marketing expenditure needed to maintain brand perception Section II: Accounting Analysis & Adjustments Accounting Analysis – Faithful representationThe auditors’ report demonstrated that the accounts present a true and fair view of the company. It is noteworthy that it was highlighted in the corporate governance report that there are no employees who are relatives of directors paid above $150,000. In addition, all members of the nomination, remuneration and audit committee are independent non-executive directors. There is also a whistle-blowing policy for the Group, which encourages a high level of non-tolerance against fraud. There was also adequate disclosure of interested transactions between its subsidiaries and its newly acquired associate prior to the acquisition.However, a potential conflict of interest in the area of the risk management committee, which usually comprises majority of non-executive directors, but in the case of MPM, is managed by executive directors. There might be the possibility of them not being objective in assessing the risks that the company faces. Understandability There is thorough explanation of accounting policies adopted in the notes, supplemented with definitions of accounting terms where appropriate. While the assets and liabilities of associates are mentioned, no further breakdown is given as to the comprisal of them.Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries are also absent from the notes. This applies for jointly controlled entities too. It was hard to determine where personnel expenses and the disclosures under profit before income tax fall into the income statement, making it confusing how to account for them. The cash figure in the balance sheet and cash flow statement differed due to fixed deposits, bank overdraft and pledged fixed deposits and bank balances, making forecasting of financial statements relatively inconvenient. ComparabilityThere is clear disclosure when amendments are made to FRS, accompanied with a statement whether the change is applied retrospectively or prospectively, as well as the materiality of the amounts presented. Where changes are to be expected, these are sta ted beforehand with their effective period of commencement stated methodically. Details of other operating expenses were provided in the notes from 2009 to 2011, but absent in the notes in 2007 and 2008, making comparison of detailed expenses difficult. Segment reporting was available to enable investors to compare across companies that might be similar to MPM in one of their business segments.Accounting Distortions Adjusted Non-recurring items The notes were inspected to identify line items that could potentially be non-recurring and should thus be removed from the financial statements to provide a clearer picture of the sustainable earnings of the company. Items recognized as non-recurring included bad debts written off, investment in associate, and other expenses in which no details were given. Other possible non-recurring items included government grant received, though this could possibly recur due to the achievement of the conditions under the Capability Development Scheme in 2010.Foreign exchange gain was also thought of to be recurring due to the entrance into forward currency contracts. Equity to proportionate consolidation MPM’s subsidiary Marco Polo Shipping Co Pte Ltd holds a 49% stake in PT Pelayaran Nasional Bina Buana Raya (BRR), an Indonesian shipping company which engages in ship agency, chartering and transshipment of vessels. The 49% stake is the maximum equity stake allowed to be taken by a foreigner without affecting the ability of BBR to ply the Indonesian waters as a domestic shipping company.By the substance over form principle, Marco Polo has effective control over BRR, thus we carried out proportionate consolidation on the entity. Joint ventures were also consolidated to provide a more accurate picture of the group. Operating leases MPM has several operating leases with lease period not amounting to more than 5 years. The leases were capitalized based on the implicit interest rate in the finance leases, except for 2008, where a figure of interest expenses over beginning long term debt was used, due to the absence of finance leases in 2007.Capitalizing the operating lease would result in a more accurate representation of liabilities and assets. Guarantees and litigations MPM was involved in two lawsuits over the period under purview. One involved $106,000 for late delivery of vessels while the other involved arbitration against a subsidiary of the Company in relation to certain charter party disputes. These were included in contingent liabilities during 2007 and 2008 respectively, though in the opinion of the directors, both lawsuits had no merit or basis and would not have financial impact on the company.

Poverty: Minimum Wage and Economical Unstable Childhood

College Essay Carlos Urias 9/1/2011 Robert Leighton once stated, â€Å"Poverty keeps the vision pure. † I fully understand and can relate to this quote as it pertains to my life. Exposure to economic difficulties at a young age helped shape the person I would grow up to be. Being economically troubled is an experience that has changed my character and has stimulated the decisions I have made throughout my life. Through the hardships of living an economical unstable childhood I have learned to embrace opportunities, the importance of perseverance, and become a charitable person.The cause for being at an economic disadvantage can be traced back to when my parents immigrated to the United States. Because my parents were immigrants, they had no documentation and had to work vigorous hours for minimum wage. They moved into California, and this is where I was born. We lived in a poor neighborhood and there was only enough money for the things we needed and not for what we wanted. Ri sing rent prices and minimum salaries were among the contributing factors that led to my family struggling to stay economically stable.My parents had to each get multiple jobs to try and make us enough money to proceed on living here. The lack of money resulted in problems at home, work, and the neighborhood. Alongside my family, although just a child, I also suffered the consequences of living in these conditions. Because we were living like this, I witnessed a lot of violence, hate, and many hard times. I understood that we were at a disadvantage and learned from my experiences as I witnessed how my family tried to cope with all the problems.Although there was not any money to throw around, I learned many valuable lessons from my family, my environment, and the situations we were living in. As a result of having an economically unstable childhood, I have learned to embrace opportunities. When my family and I were living under the economic pressures of California, it was clear to m e that we did not have opportunities of any kind open to us. It is because of this that we were living the way we were. As I grew older, I realized that there were so many opportunities for me and the options were limitless.Because I remember the hard times in which I came from, I do not take this for granted and take advantage of every beneficial opportunity that is presented to me. My experiences taught me that not everyone has opportunities available to them and the ones that do should be thankful and not take it for granted. These hard economic times led me to see the importance of having perseverance. I admired the way my parents would work so hard day after day and their hopes and dreams would never be crushed.I realized that you cannot give up on what you desire the most. As a child, I always told myself I would pull us out off the hard times; however, I had no idea how. I know now that the key is perseverance. I also understand now that having perseverance helps you keep pus hing forward and makes you never question your goal, but instead keep striving for it. Without perseverance we never would have gotten through the economic troubles and the conflicts that came along with that.Lastly, being economically unstable has shaped me into the charitable person I am today. As a kid I came to understand that many people did not have everything they wanted and that they too faced extremely hard times and struggled to live. Because I can relate, I have sympathy towards everyone who lives in those conditions, or even worse than that. My childhood showed me that there are some things you have no control over and sometimes living in poverty is one of them.For this reason, I try to help as much as I can and extend my hand to those who need it the most. Living in an economically unstable childhood helped me to appreciate opportunities that may rise, realize the importance of perseverance, and become a helpful person towards the needy. Taking into consideration that n ot everyone has the opportunities that are available to me, I take advantage of them. Perseverance is needed to harness these opportunities and make the most out of them. Because I know where I have come from, I know where I am going.

Classic George Orwell Quotes

Classic George Orwell Quotes George Orwell is one of the most famous writers of his time. He is perhaps best known for his controversial novel, 1984, a dystopian tale in which language and truth are corrupted. He also wrote Animal Farm, an anti-Soviet fable where the animals revolt against the humans. A great writer and a true master of words, Orwell is also known for some smart sayings. While you might already know his novels, here is a collection of quotes by the author that you should also know. Ranging from grave to ironic, from dark to optimistic, these George Orwell quotes give a sense of his ideas on religion, war, politics, writing, corporations, and society at large. By understanding Orwells opinions, perhaps readers will be able to better read his works.   On Freedom Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. I sometimes think that the price of liberty is not so much eternal vigilance as eternal dirt. Talking Politics In our time political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible. In our age, there is no such thing as keeping out of politics. All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia. In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. Jokes A dirty joke is a sort of mental rebellion. As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me. On War War is a way of shattering to pieces... materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable and... too intelligent. On Hubris A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him. On Advertisements Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket. Foodie Talk We may find in the long run that tinned food is a deadlier weapon than the machine-gun. On Religion Mankind is not likely to salvage civilization unless he can evolve a system of good and evil which is independent of heaven and hell. Other Wise Advice   Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on balance life is suffering, and only the very young or the very foolish imagine otherwise. Myths which are believed in tend to become true. Progress is not an illusion, it happens, but it is slow and invariably disappointing.

Free Essays on Ancient Middle East

The ancient, fruitful Middle East is not easily defined. It is an area that can be viewed in many different ways, and to capture a single definition for the region is difficult, if not impossible. This region encompasses a vast array of cultures, religions, ethnicities, values, and geographical configurations. These differences are vital to understanding the social process and the cultural makeup that lie within this area. In this essay I plan to touch on four important aspects that contribute the unification and the diversification of the Middle East, starting with the geographically differences that litter the different counties, then the cultural gaps, and finally, I will discuss the religions that are popular in the area, focusing on the effects of Islam. Even naming this land in question is up for debate. If it is called the Middle East, what does it lay middle east of? It is an ethnocentric description on the part of the world, and all though Americans are accustom to using it, it is not necessarily the most universally popular name for the region. None the less, it is the way I also plan to describe these twenty-one culturally rich countries. Geography's great strength as a science it is a holistic perspective, combining the characteristics of the inhabitants with understanding of the natural environment. A stereotypical analysis of Middle Eastern geography would include immense deserts and nomadic wonders inhabiting the few waterways that meander through to the Arabian Sea. On the contrary, although there are without a doubt a lot of desolate dry landscapes, it should also be noted that there are three colliding plate systems, which produces a variety of land marks. First, a highly arid shield, or a massif, that extends from Africa to India is to blame for the lowland areas. Second, the Arabian Shield constructs the mountain ranges that are scattered around the country sides and are responsible for the earthqua... Free Essays on Ancient Middle East Free Essays on Ancient Middle East The ancient, fruitful Middle East is not easily defined. It is an area that can be viewed in many different ways, and to capture a single definition for the region is difficult, if not impossible. This region encompasses a vast array of cultures, religions, ethnicities, values, and geographical configurations. These differences are vital to understanding the social process and the cultural makeup that lie within this area. In this essay I plan to touch on four important aspects that contribute the unification and the diversification of the Middle East, starting with the geographically differences that litter the different counties, then the cultural gaps, and finally, I will discuss the religions that are popular in the area, focusing on the effects of Islam. Even naming this land in question is up for debate. If it is called the Middle East, what does it lay middle east of? It is an ethnocentric description on the part of the world, and all though Americans are accustom to using it, it is not necessarily the most universally popular name for the region. None the less, it is the way I also plan to describe these twenty-one culturally rich countries. Geography's great strength as a science it is a holistic perspective, combining the characteristics of the inhabitants with understanding of the natural environment. A stereotypical analysis of Middle Eastern geography would include immense deserts and nomadic wonders inhabiting the few waterways that meander through to the Arabian Sea. On the contrary, although there are without a doubt a lot of desolate dry landscapes, it should also be noted that there are three colliding plate systems, which produces a variety of land marks. First, a highly arid shield, or a massif, that extends from Africa to India is to blame for the lowland areas. Second, the Arabian Shield constructs the mountain ranges that are scattered around the country sides and are responsible for the earthqua...

Cundo no aplica castigo 3 y 10 aos por estar ilegal

Cundo no aplica castigo 3 y 10 aos por estar ilegal Las leyes migratorias de los Estados Unidos castigan con la prohibicià ³n de obtener una visa por 3 y 10 aà ±os a las personas que han estado ilegalmente en el paà ­s. Pero hay excepciones importantes a esta regla. Esto quiere decir que a las personas que no les aplica este castigo podrà ­an solicitar tanto una visa no inmigrante , como la de turista o estudiante, como obtener la aprobacià ³n de una visa inmigrante siempre y cuando no existan otras causas por las que se pueda denegar. En este artà ­culo se explica a quià ©nes no aplica el castigo de los 3 y 10 aà ±os por estar ilegal, en quà © casos no importa la estancia ilegal para obtener un beneficio migratorio, cà ³mo se computa el tiempo como ilegal ya que no siempre es claro y, finalmente, quà © hacer si se est fuera de Estados Unidos y se quiere sacar una visa y hay el problema de este castigo.  ¿A quià ©nes no aplica este castigo? El castigo de los 3 y de los 10 aà ±os no aplica a las personas que: Aunque estuvieron ms de 180 dà ­as ilegalmente en los Estados Unidos, ese periodo no de un modo continuo. Es decir, a aquellos que estuvieron un mes de una vez, dos meses de otra, etc. Pero nunca llegaron a pasar seis meses seguidos como ilegales.   (Sin embargo, hay que tener mucho ojo con este punto, ya que las estancias ilegales asà ­ sean discontinuas por un periodo superior a un aà ±o sà ­ que se computan para el castigo de prohibicià ³n permanente para ingresar a Estados Unidos).Se quedaron ilegalmente ms de 6 meses seguidos, pero fue con anterioridad al 1 de abril de 1997. Esa es la fecha en la que entrà ³ en vigor la ley del castigo de los tres y diez aà ±os y no afecta a situaciones anteriores.Son menores de 18 aà ±os. No se computa el tiempo que pasaron como ilegales antes de cumplir la mayorà ­a de edad. Adems, en el caso de los Dreamers con  la accià ³n diferida  aprobada no computan tiempo de presencia ilegal en los Estados Unidos mientras estn protegidos por DACA. Y asà ­ pueden viajar a otro paà ­s y regresar si cumplen una serie de requisitos para obtener un advance parole o permiso para viajar. Se encuentran dentro de Estados Unidos. Este castigo sà ³lo aplica a los que estn fuera del paà ­s. Algunos indocumentados podrn legalizar su situacià ³n sin salir de los Estados Unidos mediante un ajuste de estatus. Pero otros tendrà ­an que necesariamente salir para ir a una entrevista al consulado. Y ahà ­ habrà ­a el problema del castigo de los 3 y de los 10 aà ±os.Pueden beneficiarse de lo que se conoce como Seccià ³n 245(i), para casos muy antiguos. Situaciones especiales en los que no importa el tiempo como  ilegal En casos especiales, la presencia ilegal en Estados Unidos no es considerada causa de inadmisibilidad y, por lo tanto, ser posible ajustar el estatus o sacar una visa de inmigrante, siempre y cuando se reà ºnan todos los dems requisitos. Estos son los casos: Se solicita una visa T por trfico humanoSe solicita  de un TPS o Estatus de Proteccià ³n TemporalSolicitante de una  visa U por casos de và ­ctimas de violencia Và ­ctimas de violencia domà ©stica segà ºn la ley VAWA. Cà ³mputo de los dà ­as en los que se ha estado ilegalmente en Estados Unidos En la mayorà ­a de los casos es muy fcil saberlo. Si se ingresà ³ ilegalmente, desde ese dà ­a. Y si se ingresà ³ con una visa cuando finalizà ³ la fecha prevista en el documento que se conoce como I-94 registro de entrada y salida o la fecha de estatus (D/S, en inglà ©s).   Adems, en el caso de los que ingresaron como turistas o por negocios sin visa por ser de un paà ­s del Programa de Exencià ³n de Visados, como Espaà ±a o Chile, todo lo que exceda de 90 dà ­as es considerado como ilegal. Pero en ocasiones el cà ³mputo de lo que es presencia ilegal no es tan sencillo. En las siguientes situaciones se recomienda consultar con un abogado para intentar esclarecer realmente cul es la situacià ³n: Se ha esperado por una respuesta del USCIS a una aplicacià ³n despuà ©s de la fecha mxima de estancia permitidaEspera durante caso de deportacià ³n ante un juez. Quà © se puede hacer si realmente se ha estado ilegal por ms de 6 meses y se quiere sacar una visa Existen posibilidades de solicitar un perdà ³n, que va a depender de si se quiere una visa no inmigrante o se tiene una aplicacià ³n de visa de inmigrante y à ©sta ha sido negada por presencia ilegal previa. Es importante conocer los mecanismos, quà © es posible y cà ³mo. Tambià ©n es fundamental informase sobre la condena ms dura que aplica para los casos de las personas que regresan ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos por aplicacià ³n de la prohibicià ³n​ permanente. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Innovations and inventions of the 20th century Essay

Innovations and inventions of the 20th century - Essay Example Not only do they try to educate the people on the pros and cons of technology, they also provide solutions on how to minimize its effects on the environment as well as to the lives of the people. Additionally, the invention of the cell phone is equally influential to artists as they discuss the effects that cellphones have on the lives of the people. Some of the artists try imagining of the days when there were no computers or mobile phones, then compare life then and today (Janssen and Anne 12). The computer is one of the most influential technological innovations of the 21st century that has revolutionized the art world and influenced artists in the era. The computer, designed to make work easier for people, has turned them into slaves (Janssen and Anne23). This is the main reason why artists use it as a topic of discussion in their work. The internet is yet another innovation of this century that has influenced artists’ work and activities (Pilcher 470). They look at the advantages and disadvantages of the internet, especially the privacy and authenticity of information available on the internet. While researching, I realized that the audience plays a big role in creating art. The audience inspires artists in their work, especially in the kind of information presented in the artwork. Additionally, I realized that most of the artists today draw their inspiration from the artists of the impressionism. I awed at the impact of these artists have on art today, despite being regarded as failures in the French exhibition gallery. Janssen, Lisa and Anne Nigten. The Revised Artist: A Study into the Influence of the Computer on Art Making and Perception. Creative Development. 2007. Dissertation.

Implementation and Analysis of Public Policy Essay

Implementation and Analysis of Public Policy - Essay Example For this purpose, some of the formed U.S. troops will provide support to the Iraqis while targeting ISIS forces by sharing their intelligence and coordinate planning process (Deyoung and Gearan, n.p.). President Obama is giving public announcement of the decision trying to convince American society that American personnel will stay in safety there and that the government is working on the development of comprehensive counterterrorism strategy. Also, he stresses that there is a critical necessity to take active position in the conflict on behalf of the American government and that the government will take proactive actions to provide support to the Iraqis people (Deyoung and Gearan, n.p.). Thus, the American government declares its active position towards the situation in Iraq and is stressing its advisory role rather than combating reinforcement. In my opinion the policy might work in case the objective of the plan declared by Obama is true. In case this policy is only a part of the plan and the president is going to take active combat position on behalf of the American government, then this policy can be perceived as a â€Å"cover† for the real plan. In any case it would be very challenging to ensure safety of the American soldiers in hot spot in Iraq. Provocative behavior on the one part can lead to a great military conflict and therefore, impose risk of greater number of victims. The policy looks more like the ground or cause to enter the Iraqis land. The possible criticisms of the Obama’s decision can relate to the issue that the President is opening a new front in the Middle East despite the official rejections (Deyoung and Gearan, n.p.). People might negatively perceive this decision and view it as continuation of spending money and threatening the lives of American soldiers in another land war in the Middle East (Deyoung and Gearan, n.p.). The fact that there will be soldiers who have already undergone military service on the Middle

Federalist and anti Federalist debates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Federalist and anti Federalist debates - Essay Example The American Federalist proposed the Articles of Confederation, later altered and ratified on June 21, 1788 into the Constitution of the United States of America, as America’s first constitution (Rose, 2010). The Federalist Party, founded by Alexander Hamilton, became the first major political party founded in resistance to the Anti-Federalists who fought for the small national government without national debt (Rose, 2010). The debate for Federalism is whether to choose a large state that controls smaller states which allows homogeneity through separation of powers or a small state that has each power without being controlled and overruled by a central or large state (Follesdal, 2010). I believe that we are still facing some of the challenges today especially determining composition, distribution of powers and power sharing. Until this day, I think there are still challenges to boundaries of the units of each member, allocation of powers to executive, legislative and judiciary, and especially the influence each state can contribute in the central government. A famous and insightful Anti-Federalist named Robert Yates, delegate to Constitutional Convention and a New York judge, withdrew in the Convention saying that it was exceeding its powers and instructions and the Supreme Court would soon become a source of over-reaching and unlimited federal powers (Galles,

Discuss the main causes and effects of gun crime in the USA Essay - 2

Discuss the main causes and effects of gun crime in the USA - Essay Example Subsequently, the following paper makes an insight into most widespread causes and effects of gun violence. One if the factors the most commonly blamed for gun crimes is availability of firearms. The debate over the right of the general population to bear firearms has been among the actively and commonly debated ones. From one side, opponents of gun control argue that any law denying such right would be a violation of the Constitution that allows one to protect property and life from criminals, who would still have a gun, regardless of the prohibition. Although the following position may contain the grain of logic, it, in fact, leads to more crimes, research shows. A recent study that compared data from developed countries on gun ownership and subsequent deaths clearly concluded that more guns mean more gun-related deaths. †There was a correlation between guns per head per country and the rate of deaths with Japan being on one end of the spectrum and the US - on the other† (Boseley, 2013) Subsequently, availability and easy access to guns can be regarded as one of the essentia l causes of gun crimes in the U.S. Another possible cause of gun violence in the United States has been called social conditions that allow the existence of risk factors most commonly associated with gun violence. According to Walker (2014), one of the recent strategies that proved its effectiveness for alleviating the rates of gun crimes has been a mentoring program, focusing on the at-risk population and preventing it from the involvement in felonious situations and aggressive behavior. Success of the program in reducing crimes occurrence proves that unfavorable social conditions are associated with gun crimes. The commonly cited risk factors are unemployment, poverty, and poor education. (Walker, 2014; "Gun violence prevention,") Therefore, the low quality of life should be regarded as a predictor of gun crimes. Apart from that, it is argued that the lack

Alchemy and Remedy in Higher Education Research Paper

Alchemy and Remedy in Higher Education - Research Paper Example Research shows that the utility and validity of projective tests are lower than objective tests because some are more time to consume in comparison to the objective tests. Sexology tests have a limited number of receptions. This field provides different methods of psychological evaluations to examine various aspects of dysfunction, problems or discomforts (Kline 2005). The tests give less regard to consuming relationships and hence have a very low validity and utility level. Most of the sexology tests are written through questionnaires while a few of them are delivered orally. Neuropsychological tests on children and adolescents help them to evaluate their various levels of performance and to determine the regions that may show some conditions of mental impairment (Kline 2005). The tests are performed to these individuals after any brain injury, organic neurological problems or brain damage. They can also help to show development delays or learning disabilities in children (The American Psychological Association 1999). Due to their performance, their validity and utility are in continuous growth as many people continue to growing concern on their children’s’ health now and future. Different theories of adult learning have been derived to help improve the efforts of theorists and practitioners in understanding adult learning. The theories provide better ways in workable and testable forms for explaining the adult learning process and further strive to show the differences in child and adult learning (Gilmore 2008).

Management Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Management Report - Case Study Example The report will identify and describe about the possible problems that the organisation could face by implementing the new ERP system based on traditional system development life cycle methodology and also provide recommendations to Solaricot for performing its business operations effectively. What an ERP System is ERP system is fundamentally described as a set of applications that is incorporated to administer broad assortment of commercial activities like finance, human resource and inventory among others. ERP software incorporates all features of business operational functions comprising business development, production functions and marketing activities. ERP system usually utilise databases as a source of information. The basic objective of ERP is to share information for simplifying the flow of data across business within an organisation (O’Leary, 2004). Values of ERP That Can Bring To Manufacturing Firm The adoption and the execution of ERP system has been noted to be qu ite common in manufacturing organisations. Successful ERP installations help the manufacturing firms to enhance their strategic as well as economical capabilities. In manufacturing organisations like Solaricot, ERP system can successfully address several management challenges. In this modern day context, organisations must manage all resources including supply chain activities in an effective manner. The integrated characteristics of ERP system makes the sharing of information easier and also deliver timely information. Furthermore, ERP system also assists the manufacturing firms in managing its inventory level effectually. Various ERP tools that comprise demand forecasting, inventory visibility and cohesive scheduling are typically used for ensuring dynamic manufacturing operations. In manufacturing firms, ERP system makes the production functions to remain on track and generate quality products (Muscatello & et. al., 2003). Possible Problems of ERP System in Solaricot Though ERP s ystem can frequently assist different organisations towards enhancing their respective production abilities, it can also bring failure to certain organisations. In this similar context, several aspects could have gone wrong with the new system at Solaricot. The possible problems of ERP system in Solaricot have been described hereunder. Improper Customisation of the ERP system Based on the traditional systems development life cycle methodology, the first possible reason for the failure of ERP system

Alchemy and Remedy in Higher Education Research Paper

Alchemy and Remedy in Higher Education - Research Paper Example Research shows that the utility and validity of projective tests are lower than objective tests because some are more time to consume in comparison to the objective tests. Sexology tests have a limited number of receptions. This field provides different methods of psychological evaluations to examine various aspects of dysfunction, problems or discomforts (Kline 2005). The tests give less regard to consuming relationships and hence have a very low validity and utility level. Most of the sexology tests are written through questionnaires while a few of them are delivered orally. Neuropsychological tests on children and adolescents help them to evaluate their various levels of performance and to determine the regions that may show some conditions of mental impairment (Kline 2005). The tests are performed to these individuals after any brain injury, organic neurological problems or brain damage. They can also help to show development delays or learning disabilities in children (The American Psychological Association 1999). Due to their performance, their validity and utility are in continuous growth as many people continue to growing concern on their children’s’ health now and future. Different theories of adult learning have been derived to help improve the efforts of theorists and practitioners in understanding adult learning. The theories provide better ways in workable and testable forms for explaining the adult learning process and further strive to show the differences in child and adult learning (Gilmore 2008).

Washington Mutual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Washington Mutual - Essay Example The conditions are analyzed in the paper and some recommendations have been suggested to improve the performance of the company and thereby determine their accountability. Washington Mutual Inc. is a Seattle based consumer and small business banking company operating in the markets of the United States. It is a savings and loan holding company with two banking subsidiaries namely Washington Mutual Bank (WMB) and Washington Mutual Bank fsb (WMBfsb), as well as numerous non-bank subsidiaries. The Washington Mutual is one of the largest savings and loan associations in the United States. The main business operations of the company include retail banking network of 2,257 stores in California, Florida, Texas, New York, Washington, Illinois, Oregon, New Jersey, Georgia, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Connecticut; card services operating throughout the country with credit card lending business; the commercial operations conducting multi-family and commercial real estate lending business in selected markets and the home loans group, which engages in nationwide single-family residential real estate lending, servicing and capital markets activities (Mouawad, 2007). It is the sole survivor as a major Seattle based bank after the overwhelming trend of merger in the country between 1980 and 1990 which ended the independence of Rainier Bank, Seafirst Bank and Peoples National Bank among others. The Washington Mutual has taken up aggressive business strategies to expand its business. It went on to acquire a huge number of financial and banking institutions since 1930 and rapidly increased its assets to become a giant in banking and finance sector. It showed great performance in customer service since its foundation as a savior of the economy of Seattle after the great fire destruction. It pioneered facilities like cash machine networks and telephone banking for customer satisfaction. The home loan sector of the

Nans Goldin

Nans Goldin Nans Goldin Introduction If a still image can speak, it will tell you stories that will capture your imagination. It can describe how the photographer feels when taking the shot; it can also explain the emotions by the subjects to which the photograph has been taken, what the ambience of the location was and what the main feelings are during the poses. Even if the subject of the picture is not a living thing, that subject can be brought to life by the amazing shot captured by the master photographer. Composition and lighting have also contributed to the message the image wants us to understand. But then again still images cannot speak Which leaves us; the viewers create our own perception on what might the photo means. This has led to often wrong conclusions for those uninitiated by what the art offers. An image after being viewed can have different meanings, from different people some are quite far from the truth and others almost grasping it. The one, who really knows it and even feels the work, is the person at the back of the lens. One artist who really understands and definitely has passion for her work is Nancy Goldin, popularly known as Nan Goldin, she is an example of an artist who works at the most intimate level: her life is her work and her work, her life. It is nearly impossible to discuss Goldins photographs without referring to their subjects by name, as though the people pictured were ones own family and friends. It is this intimate and raw style for which Goldin has become internationally renowned. Her snapshot-esque images of her friends drag queens, drug addicts, lovers and family are intense, searing portraits that, together, make a document of Goldins life (Anon 2002). Biography Nan Goldin was born in Washington, D.C. on September 12, 1953. Soon she moved to Boston with her family. After her sisters suicide in 1965, Nan Goldin took up photography, in order to preserve her memories. Her camera turned into an eye that did not forget. Together with friends Goldin explored the aesthetics of fashion photography and got into contact with the Boston transvestite and cross-dresser scene. In the early 1970s Goldin strove for a documentary and objective depiction of the people, whom she admired for their special confidence. Later Goldin brought her pictures from this scene together in her book The Other Side. After studying at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Tufts University in Boston, she moved on to color photography. In 1974 she produced her first exhibition project Image Works at the university in Cambridge. In 1977 Goldin graduated and one year later she moved to New York. During the late 1970s and early 1980s Goldins main motifs for her photographs were her friends, whom she regarded as a substitute for her family and who were very important to her. The viewer penetrates deeply into the privacy of the depicted, due to the exact titles of the photographies including name, place and date. Goldins slide show entitled The ballad of sexual dependency reflects the wild everyday life of her friends. These shows, which are added to a soundtrack of music, are particularly impressive, because Goldin adds and rearranges the slides for every show to reflect changing moods, emotions, impressions and memories. From 1986 Nan Goldin also exhibited abroad. In 1988 she had to undergo withdrawal from drugs, during which she began with a series of self-protraits, which show an intensified affect control. The loss of several friends due to AIDS infections during the early 1990s made Goldin return to depicting other people. Following the invitation of the DAAD, Nan Goldin spent a year in Berlin and in 1995 her work was exhibited alongside that of other artists as part of the new Boston School at the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art. Only one year later the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York hosted a retrospective exhibition of the photographers works. Today Nan Goldin is one of the most famous contemporary photographers and her work can be seen in many collections. The artist continues work to her lifes own rhythm in New York. References Nan Goldin Nan Goldin is an example of an artist who works at the most intimate level: her life is her work and her work, her life. It is nearly impossible to discuss Goldins photographs without referring to their subjects by name, as though the people pictured were ones own family and friends. It is this intimate and raw style for which Goldin has become internationally renowned. Her snapshot-esque images of her friends drag queens, drug addicts, lovers and family are intense, searing portraits that, together, make a document of Goldins life. Goldin herself has commented on her photographic style and philosophy, saying, My work originally came from the snapshot aesthetic . . . Snapshots are taken out of love and to remember people, places, and shared times. Theyre about creating a history by recording a history. On September 12, 1953, Goldin was born in Washington, D.C. Shortly thereafter, she and her family moved to a suburb of Boston, where Goldin was to spend several primarily unhappy years before moving away from her family. In 1965, when Nan was 14 years old, her older sister, Barbara Holly Goldin, committed suicide. Deeply disturbed by this event, Goldin sought comfort in her friends: in them, she created an alternate family. Having decided that conventional family life and traditional schooling were not for her, Goldin moved in with a series of foster families, and soon enrolled in an alternative school called Satya Community School. It was at Satya, located in Lincoln, Massachusetts, that Goldin met two people who would be great friends and influences for many years to come: David Armstrong and Suzanne Fletcher. As the memory of her sister started to become hazy, Goldin began to take pictures to preserve the present, and thus her fading memories of the past. She photographed her frie nds so she would never lose the memory of them, as had happened with her sister. Her photographs were her way of documenting their lives, and, in turn, her own. It was at Satya that Goldins fascination with photography truly began to take shape. Goldin, along with her new friends Armstrong and Fletcher, used photography as a way of reinventing herself and those around her. Heavily influenced by fashion photography, Goldin and her companions would dress up for one another. Trying their hands at cross-dressing and drag were commonplace; this early experimentation would shape Goldins lifelong fascination with the blurry line separating the genders. Through Armstrong, Goldin was introduced to the drag subculture in Boston, and thus a nightclub called The Other Side. There, she photographed drag queen beauty contests during the early 1970s and became friends with many transvestites. Goldin sought to depict her subjects in a straightforward, non-judgmental way: she saw drag as a way to reinvent oneself, and reinforced this idea by taking photographs of her friends in full drag regalia, as well as in various stages of preparation. In photographs su ch as David at Grove Street, Boston, 1972, Ivy Wearing a Fall, Boston, 1972, and Kenny Putting on Make-up, Boston, 1973, Goldin depicts her companions in various stages of drag. In the first two, the subjects stare unflinchingly at the viewer, each proud of his transformation, yet still calling attention to the fine line between masculine and feminine. In the third, Kenny is shown absorbed in his own beauty, concentrating intently on creating an alternate version of himself in the mirror. Through these portraits, along with the many others taken of her classmates and friends, Goldin illustrates the confusion and recklessness of the time in which she was creating her art. It was during this period that Goldin began her course of study at the Boston School of Fine Arts. This transition marks a change in Goldins photographic style. Prior to college she had used only black and white film, shooting primarily from available light sources (with the exception of some of the photographs made at The Other Side, for which she used flash). She soon began experimenting with color, which would become an integral part of her photographic style. The introduction of flash into her work also greatly contributed to what is known today as the Goldin look. Rarely working from natural light, Goldin illuminates her subjects with careful use of flash that extenuates her vibrant colors. She achieves bright, deep hues by printing her 35 mm film with a photographic process called Cibachrome. While normal, c-type prints are made from printing from color negatives, Cibachrome prints are photographs printed from slides. This process allows the photographer to achieve optimum colo rs and contributes greatly to the sharp, bright quality of color in Goldins prints. Goldins 1978 move to the Bowery in New York City marked a major life change, both in her career and her personal life. Goldins photographs of this period reflect her hard-living lifestyle: excessive use of drugs and alcohol and abusive relationships were commonplace in Goldins circle of friends. Goldin wrote, I believe one should create from what one knows and speak about ones tribe . . .You can only speak with true understanding and empathy about what youve experienced. True to her credo, Goldin documented everything: drunken parties, relationships good and bad, evidence of beatings, all of which created an intense portrait of a close-knit group of friends. In the early 1980s, these photographs would be shown in the form of slides during Goldins now-infamous slide shows. A melange of photographs and music, these shows were originally held at punk rock clubs in New York City in order for Goldins friends (and photographic subjects) to see the photographs that she had taken of them. Tin Pan Alley was one of the most frequent spots for these events, a locale that conveniently provided a working place for such up-and-coming artists as Kiki Smith, Cookie Mueller and Barbara Ess. At the time, the show (later called The Ballad of Sexual Dependency), which was made up of color photographs lit with flash, ran approximately 45 minutes. As Goldin evolved as an artist, the show also changed, and more photographs were added and songs were changed. Despite changes to the content of the show, the basic atmosphere of intimacy remained, and Goldins visceral style communicated raw emotion. It was in 1986 that Goldin began to take her show on the road, traveling abroad to exhibit her work. Ballad saw screen time at both the Edinburgh and Berlin Film Festivals. By 1988, Goldins drug and alcohol abuse had begun to take a toll on her life and work, and she entered a detoxification clinic. Though she had previously experimented with self-portraiture, it was in this clinic that she created many images of herself. Photographs such as My Bedroom at the Lodge, Self-portrait in front of clinic, and Self-portrait with milagro reveal an introspective Goldin, somewhat humbled by her experiences at the hospital. In Self-portrait with milagro, the viewer sees Goldin in her room at the clinic, sitting up on her bed. She leans toward the camera, taking up most of the frame; the remaining portion of the frame is taken up by her institutional bed pillows and a small crucifix hanging on the wall. Goldins proximity to the camera has caused her face to be slightly blurred compared with her sharply defined hand, which is resting on the pillows. This slight blurring, combined with the cramped composition of the photograph, communicates Goldins feeling of being t rapped within the hospital. The colors in the photograph are neutral except for Goldins mouth: situated in the center of the photograph, it is covered in bright red lipstick. This flash of color in the institutional setting catches the eye, then leads it down the pyramid-like positioning of Goldins body to her ringed hand, tense on her pillow. Self-portrait with milagro is a fine example of the simple way in which Goldin uses seemingly haphazard composition to carefully build the feeling (in this case, her claustrophobia in the hospital) that she is trying to communicate. During this time, Goldin faced an additional personal struggle: many of her close friends were dying of AIDS, which was then a relatively new disease. Perhaps most important of these was Cookie Mueller, a friend since 1976, the year in which Goldin started photographing her. Goldins series, entitled The Cookie Portfolio, is comprised of 15 portraits of Cookie, ranging from those taken at the parties of their youth to those from Cookies funeral in 1989. During the next few years, Goldin continued to photograph her slowly dwindling circle of friends, many of whom were afflicted with AIDS. She showed these photographs in many group exhibitions across the country and around the world and spent a year in Berlin on a DAAD grant, sponsored by a German organization that brings artists to Berlin. In 1994, she and her longtime best friend David Armstrong collaborated on a book called A Double Life. Composed of photographs taken by both Goldin and Armstrong, the book displays their differing styles of photographing the same person. Also included are some of their portraits of one another. A 1995 show at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston grouped Goldin, Armstrong and fellow photographers and friends Philip-Lorca DiCorcia, Mark Morrisroe, Jack Pierson and several others, and dubbed them the Boston School. This name stuck, and the photographers have since been referred to by this title. The Whitney Museum of American Art held a retrospective of Goldins work in 1996; it was called Ill Be Your Mirror. Composed of photographs from every period of her career, the exhibit also boasted a showing of a version of The Ballad of Sexual Dependency. Goldin continues to photograph and recently had her first solo show in London, at the popular White Cube Gallery. Her work continues to evolve with her life. Of this she writes, My work changes as I change. I feel an artists work has to change, otherwise you become a replication of yourself. With Goldins close, immediate style and stunningly beautiful images, there is no threat of her becoming a replication. http://fototapeta.art.pl/2003/ngie.php Your approach towards photography is very personal. Is not it a kind of therapy? Yes, photography saved my life. Every time I go through something scary, traumatic, I survive by taking pictures. You also help other people to survive. Memory about them does not disappear, because they are on your pictures. Yes. It is about keeping a record of the lives I lost, so they cannot be completely obliterated from memory. My work is mostly about memory. It is very important to me that everybody that I have been close to in my life I make photographs of them. The people are gone, like Cookie, who is very important to me, but there is still a series of pictures showing how complex she was. Because these pictures are not about statistics, about showing people die, but it is all about individual lives. In the case of New York, most creative and freest souls in the city died. New York is not New York anymore. Ive lost it and I miss it. They were dying because of AIDS. You decided to leave the United States because of the effect the AIDS epidemic had on the community of New York gay artists and writers? I left America in 1991 to Europe. I went to Berlin partially because of that, and partially because one of my best friends, Alf Bold, was dying and I stayed with him and took care of him. He had nobody to take care of him. I mean, he had lots of famous friends, but he had nobody to take care of him on a daily basis. He was one of people who invented the Berlin film festival. This was also the time when my Paris photo dealer Gilles died of AIDS. He had the most radical gallery in the city. He did not tell anybody in Europe that he has AIDS, because the attitude here was so different than in the United States. There was no ACT UP in Paris, and in 1993 it looked very much like in the US in the 1950s. Now it has changed, but at that time people in Europe told me: Oh, we do not need ACT UP. We have very good hospitals. Your art is basically socially engaged It is very political. First, it is about gender politics. It is about what it is to be male, what it is to be female, what are gender roles Especially The Ballad of Sexual Dependency is very much about gender politics, before there was such a word, before they taught it at the university. A friend of mine said I was born with a feminist heart. I decided at the age of five that there was nothing my brothers can do and I cannot do. I grew up that way. It was not like an act of decision that I was going to make a piece about gender politics. I made this slideshow about my life, about my past life. Later, I realized how political it was. It is structured this way so it talks about different couples, happy couples. For me, the major meaning of the slideshow is how you can become sexually addicted to somebody and that has absolutely nothing in common with love. It is about violence, about being in a category of men and women. It is constructed so that you see all different roles of women, then of children, the way children are brought up, and these roles, and then men, then it shows a lot of violence. That kind of violence the men play with. It goes to clubs, bars, it goes to prostitution as one of the options for women prostitution or marriage. Then it goes back to the social scene, to married and re-married couples, couples having sex, it ends with twin graves. You were one of the few photographers who started to take color pictures. How did it happen? I accidentally used the roll of color film in my camera. I thought it is black and white, but it was color. Unlike Egglestone and the other photographers using color, your pictures were discovered quite late. Some people discovered my photography early. It was just very underground. It was very good what they taught us at the art school: that you have to suffer to be an artist; that you do not need material, financial success, but you have to be driven. A lot of great artists came out of my school from that period. Some of them are my friends like David Armstrong and Philip Lorca diCorcia. When I first started to take pictures of drag queens my influences were glamour magazines, fashion magazines. I like Horst, Cecil Beaton, and the early work of Newton, I like Guy Bourdin. I did not know about art photography. In 1974, I went to school and there was a teacher who showed me Larry Clark. It has entirely changed my work. I knew that there had been somebody else who had done their own life. You know his book Tulsa? I knew that were precedents for using ones private experiences as art. So you just switched from this glamour photography to this very personal approach? No, I did not just switch. It was a long process of learning about the history of photography. He introduced me to August Sander, Weegee, Diane Arbus. The drag queens hated the work of Arbus. It was not allowed in the house, because they hated the way she photographed drag queens. She tried to strip them of their identity. She did not respect the way they wanted to be. Arbus is a genius, but her work is about herself. Every picture is about herself. It is never respecting the way the other person is. It is almost a psychotic need to try to find another identity, so I think that Arbus tries on the skin of other people. I have written a lot about Arbus. Some critics find connections between you and Arbus. What do you think about such comparisons? The daughter of Arbus thinks that there is no connection at all. I think there is some connection, because both of us have an unusual degree of empathy, but it is manifested in a different way. She was a photographic genius and I am not a photographic genius. My genius, if I have any, is in the slideshows, in the narratives. It is not in making perfect images. It is in the groupings of work. It is in relationships I have with other people. Is it not connected with your fascination with literature? You mentioned FaulknerÉ Faulkner wrote about one tiny community and he wrote around 25 great novels and many short stories. They are always set in the place he loves. It has an invented name, but it is a real place. It is all based on what he knows. I always fought strongly against traditional documentary photography. It has changed, but in the 1970s it was always strong white men going to India, making exotic pictures of something they have no idea of. I always felt that I have right to photograph only my own tribe or people, when I travel, to whom I get close to and that I gave something to. I never took pictures with a long lens, it is always short and I have to get close to people I photograph. What is the relation between the diary you write and the pictures you take? Nothing. My diary is really boring. Have you not tried to put together both diaries, textual and visual, and do something like Peter Beard? No. I think these are two different thingsÉ Have you ever published parts of this diary? No, I would never do this. I am writing it for myself and nobody else. My wish is to burn it immediately after my deathÉ Some of your pictures are blurred. You did it on purpose? Actually, I take blurred pictures, because I take pictures no matter what the light is. If I want to take a picture, I do not care if there is light or no light. If I want to take a picture, I take it no matter what. Sometimes I use very low shutter speed and they come out blurred, but it was never an intention like David Armstrong started to do what we call, he and I, Fuzzy-wuzzy landscapes. He looked at the back of my pictures and studied them. He started to take pictures like them without people in them. They are just out of focus landscapes. He actually did it, intentionally threw the camera out of focus. I have never done it in my life. I take pictures like in here when there is no sun or light that I think all my pictures are going to be out of focus. Even Valerie and Bruno and whatever I take, because there is not enough light, and so I use a very low shutter speed. It used to be because I was drunk, but now I am not. The drugs influenced all my life. Both good and bad. I hear d about an artist in Poland, Witkacy, who wrote down on his paintings all the drugs he was on. Depending how many drugs he took, that is how much he charged for the portrait. I saw his portrait at the National Museum, a kind of German expressionism, and I loved it. I saw your pictures in the 50th anniversary issue of Aperture magazine. What shocked me most was the relation between them and the new Leica ad this one with your hands holding the M7, very artistic and black and white I never thought of your photography being as classic as Leica. I always use Leica. Previously it was M6, and recently I work with M7 camera. I received one as a salary for this particular ad. However, I immediately lost it while photographing the Valerie floating series. I was swimming with her holding my camera in one hand and taking pictures at the same time. It was really difficult. The camera got broken, but the photographs were really worth the price. How do you feel having these radical works being shown at the most prestigious museums? In Paris, for instance, I had a choice between the Centre Pompidou, where all the people go, and the most beautiful museum in Paris, Musee de la Ville de Paris. I liked the women who worked at the museum, but I also loved the man who was taking over the Pompidou. I am very loyal to anybody who has helped me, especially before I was famous. Some told me that I should choose this beautiful museum, but I chose the Pompidou, because I wanted people to see it. To the beautiful museum go only artists and elites. What are you going to do next? After the Devils Playground and the Matthew Marks show in New York? I do not know. I never know. I think it is going to be something different, because I have been through hard times. We will see how the market will react to this, but I do not care about the art market at all. My dealers are becoming greedier and greedier. They start talking to me in this strange way saying We will show this and this picture, because they are going to sell well. I am worried about that they no longer even pretend to have any ideals. At least my American dealers. Interview by Adam Mazur and Paulina Skirgajllo-Krajewska