Hamilton An American Musical free essay sample

â€Å"How does a bastard, orphan, son of a wh**e† become a smashing Broadway success? By combining brilliant, historically accurate lyrics with rap, six-part harmonies, and strong hip-hop influences. â€Å"Hamilton: An American Musical,† written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, has taken Broadway by storm. While I have yet to see â€Å"Hamilton† on stage, this Grammy-winning album is superb both by music industry and Broadway standards. Listening to the album, you feel like you are sitting in a theater watching the hit show being performed. The rapping is understandable and brilliant, the harmonies are tight, and the entire album radiates that magical Broadway energy. â€Å"Hamilton† takes you on a musical historical journey. Alexander befriends Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.), who gives him advice: â€Å"Talk less, smile more/Don’t let them know what you’re against or for.† Issues facing the newly established United States are discussed through Cabinet rap battles. We will write a custom essay sample on Hamilton: An American Musical or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Commentary in â€Å"Burn† and â€Å"The Room Where It Happens† surmise what actually happened over 200 years ago and discuss the end results in a beautiful storytelling manner. â€Å"Hamilton† allows you to reimagine history as though the Founding Fathers had rapped their ideologies and emotions. Since I haven’t seen the show but simply heard the wonderful music telling the story, let’s talk about the lyrics. The lyrics are tightly worded poetic masterpieces containing historical gold nuggets. They don’t just recite historical facts; they mine all the emotions that can be found in Hamilton’s story. It feels like you are standing right alongside him as he works his way from a poor orphan to a principled leader trying to establish economic sovereignty for our country. But perhaps the best part of the lyrics isn’t just what is said, but all the underlying themes Miranda masterfully crams into this more than two-hour-long story. From the idealized American dream to the poor underdog shaping history through hard work, Miranda paints this Founding Father as a relatable role model. It’s a powerful and moving story about a little known Founding Father whose economic policy established strong roots that have helped generations of Americans to prosper. Miranda also comments on our inability to control what legacy we leave. Alexander asks, â€Å"Legacy. What is legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.† And Aaron Burr sings, â€Å"History obliterates in every picture that it paints, it paints me and all my mistakes.† As Hamilton and Burr discover, â€Å"You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.† But I believe Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rendition of Alexander Hamilton’s story portrays these individuals as honestly as possible.

The road interpretation of the woman Essays

The road interpretation of the woman Essays The road interpretation of the woman Essay The road interpretation of the woman Essay Essay Topic: The Heart Of a Woman The Road Throughout The Road, Corm McCarthy draws a very heavy line in the sand between giving up and persevering. Very often, this line in the sand adheres to strict gender lines: while women are shown to give up in one form or another, the father and son who struggle down the post-Apocalyptic road tell themselves, This is what the good guys do. They keep trying. They dont give up 0. After closer reading of the text, reveals that not giving up is not always the lesser of two evils. McCarthy places an emphasis on the mothers body as a vessel of creation, the only form of creation in a world filled with death and destruction: Always so deliberate, hardly surprised by the most outlandish events. A creation perfectly evolved to meet its own end. A few nights later she gave birth in their bed by the light off Darrell lamp. While she labors to create a child, however, Her cries meant nothing to [the father] (54): as a man, he does not identify with this labor-as-creation . In fact, there doesnt even seem to be a memory of creation once the mother is gone. When the father and son find the charred remains of a roasted baby, the boy asks, Where did they find it? because, in a male-centric world, they are capable only of scavenging canned goods and old shoes (200). The idea of someone creating the baby is an alien one too boy who has grown up only in the ravaged landscape that is now the world. Throughout the novel, the father closely associates his wife with the world-as-it-was, a green and verdant pre-apocalyptic landscape: In dreams his pale bride came to him out of a green and leafy canopy. Her nipples peculated and her rib bones painted white. Since she embodied a time of bliss, nevertheless, not only does the wife and mother have no place in the new world of death and deprivation, but even her recollection is out of place: He mistrusted all of that. He said the right dreams for a man in peril were dreams of peril and all else was the call of language and of death 0. For individual women who are ill-fated enough to survive on the road, their figures, once vessels of conception, become assets: Behind them came wagons drawn by laves in harness and piled with goods of war and after that the women, perhaps a dozen in number, some of them pregnant, and lastly a supplementary consort of activates ill clothed against the cold and fitted in dog collars and yoked to each to each (92). In order of importance, they hold less value than goods of war but more value than activates, male sex slaves. In fact, when the mother calmly discusses her own suicide, she correctly predicts these occurrences: Sooner or later they will catch us and they will kill us. They will rape me. They are going to rape us and kill us and eat us and you wont face it (58). In some ways, her brutal acceptance of the world-as-it-has-become is much braver than the fathers Im-sure-everything-will-be-fine-when-we-get-to-the-coast brand of denial. Her willingness to murder her own child to protect him from one of the cruelest worlds in recent literature stands in direct opposition to the father, who, when finally faced with the decision, says, l cannot hold my son dead in my arms. I she says, They say that women dream of danger to those in their care and men of anger to themselves. But I dont dream at all. My heart was ripped out of me the night he was born so dont ask for sorrow now. There is none . Though she brought her child into the world, she knew the world was no place for either her or him, a fact that the father looks back on with some bitterness. Despite the fathers vicious remembering of his wife, however, it is eventually revealed that he feels a certain responsibility for her death: In his dream she was sick and he cared for her. The dream bore the look of sacrifice but he thought fervently. He did not take care of her and she died alone somewhere in the dark and there is no other dream nor other waking world and there is no other tale to tell . In fact, he even goes so far as to say, Hed come to see a message in each such late history, a message and a warning, and so this tableau of the slain and the devoured did prove to be . Only a man who feels a certain level of guilt for the way things have turned out could possibly see a message and a warning in a setting such as this.

Undecided Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Undecided - Essay Example According to Foucault, achieving control over the individuals is one of fundamental motives in exercising discipline. Attaining power also acts as a means of transforming the behavior of subjects. Detainees get essential services from their closets and do not have the freedom to interact (Foucault, 2008). Foucault also elaborated the effects of discipline given the control that it attracts on subjects. He related discipline and control to the Panopticon designed by Bentham. The Panopticon was an effective structure in conducting day and night surveillance of prisoners without their awareness. The structure had several prison cells surrounding a high observation tower, with masked windows to hide the surveillance unit officers. It was challenging to realize the presence of any light inside the tower to keep prisoners guessing. The masking of tower’s windows would hide anyone inside. Control, according to Foucault, is achievable from discipline instilled and is the center of att aining power over subjects. The design was to keep the prisoners unaware of any surveillance going on in the tower, at any time. The design of the Panopticon gained dominance in design of most present day prisons. The effectiveness of the design in enabling observation of prisoners, while they remain unaware, was the main reason for its adoption. Current security measures as the observation cameras also use the same design in surveillance. Panopticism is an avenue of achieving power over the conduct of humans and an avenue where exercise of power takes place. The Panopticon is a representation of the modern society utilizing discipline and punishment. Although Foucault appreciates the freedom of members of any society, he maintains that control and examination are vital for institutions and governments to undertake as an avenue of control. Directed by M. Scorsese and adapted by L. Kalogridis in 2010, Shutter Island is an American masterpiece thriller movie that attracted a plausible number of viewers. The movie setting is in 1954 and it features investigative roles by Teddy Daniels. Shutter Island is a facility for the criminally insane, converted from its former function as a fortress used by Civil War fighters. Daniels has long experience in investigation given his role throughout the Second World War. Daniel’s role is to find out the loss of a patient from the facility on the Island. The patient, Rachel Solando, was under medication at the hospital of the mentally insane. The investigator has to perform against several constraints including denied access to crucial documents at the facility that would be important for the investigation. The facility management does not cooperate with Daniels and the mission turns challenging from the beginning. Their mission faces many distractions including the great storm that separates the two, Daniels and Chuck Aule, his partner. They find it stressful but do not stop at that. Their investigation skills are super b to allow them access shocking information about the facility’s illegal operations. Although Daniels is on a mission to investigate the case of a disappeared patient at the facility, he has other interests as well. He holds the belief that he may find credible information surrounding the horrible death of his wife, at the medical facility. The chief at the prison, Dr. Cawley, holds exceptional authority to command what favors him most. This further complicates the whole process of investigation. The

Portfolio Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Portfolio Analysis - Essay Example The indifference curve can be used to reflect investor attitude or risk by refloating an investor’s preference. The plot of many indifference curves shows the different options that an investor would take. However, from the indifference map, the best option is to take the option that is highest that any other indifference curve. b. Selection of a suitable portfolio Indifference curves are not just used to display the risk aversion factors of an investor; in fact, the indifference curve can be used to select a suitable portfolio in terms of risk and return (Yin and Zhou, 2004). As already stated, the indifference curve is a plot of the risk and return preferences of an investor, therefore, to select the most suitable portfolio, an investor can utilize the mean-variance theory. The mean-variance theory of portfolio selection is derived from the indifference curve, where the map of the different indifference curves for an investor is plotted together (Maharakkhaka, 2011). From th e plot of the indifference curves, the transitive preferences of an investor can be determined, which refers to the selection of the best preference curve as chosen by an investor. From an analysis of the transitive preferences, it is evident that the highest preference curve is the one that should be selected by the investor. From the indifference curve, the investor can determine the highest possible indifference curve, which, combined with the other indifference curves, gives the mean-variance portfolio or the most efficient portfolio in an investment. 2. Correlation and Co-variance a. Correlation and Co-variance The relationship between two variables can be measured or determined in different ways, but the commonest way is the determination of the correlation and covariance of the two variables. A number of variables are sometimes related in some way or another, either the occurrence of one variable affects the occurrence of the other variable, or the does not affect the working of the other variable. The covariance refers to the type of relationship that two variables have, meaning that it shows whether two variables have a positive or negative relationship. In this case, a positive relationship refers to the fact that one variable moves in the same direction as the other variable. Conversely, the correlation between two variables incorporates another dimension, the extent to which two variables are related. In addition to the covariance angle of determining whether variables are positively or inversely related, the correlation also shows the extent to which the variables are inversely or positively related. b. Covariance, Correlation, and Portfolio risk As already stated, the correlation between two variables is determined by the movement of one variable in relation to the movement of the other variable. In the investment market, diversification is a good practice, since it ensures that an investor does not lose an investment in case of a catastrophe or loss in market value. A positive correlation between assets means that one asset will move in the exact same way as another asset. In investment, stocks with low or negative correlation are used to reduce portfolio risk since when one asset falls; the other asset

Passion in Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Passion in Life - Essay Example Without passion for something, life becomes dull and drab. However, the insertion of passion in such a life will brim it with energy and power. Similarly, a lack of passion in a relationship makes it dull and boring. Many people confuse ambition with passion. Passion is the driving force behind the work that an individual does to achieve the goals and ambitions in his life. Passion is a mix of truth, authenticity, enthusiasm and depth. The complex and yet simple nature of this uncontrollable and unbridled emotion is such that it just cannot be faked. Any act lacking sincerity, emotion or enthusiasm just will never be able to exist in the world of the passionate. Passion exudes its own unique energy. Passion is what gives a person solace while doing what they feel so strongly about. A person becomes infatuated with certain things in life, but if there is no passion in it, the act starts to feel too monotonous. The person will eventually get fed up of it and consider all the time spent on it as wasted. However, if the very same thing is done with passion, it embraces one for life. I also a passion in my life and I deeply wish to accomplish it. I have come to realize that the driving force behind everything that I do is the intense desire to give my family a life void of strain and one that promises a better future. Everything I do is now based on this simple thought.

Harmonisation of Accounting Standards

Harmonisation of Accounting Standards Accounting Standards are the reliable statements of best accounting practices issued by recognized expert accountancy bodies relating to various aspects of measurements, treatments and disclosures of accounting transactions and events, as related to the codification of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). This report presents harmonization of accounting standards, a brief history, and the achievements so far and some challenges faced by the organizations such as the International Accounting Standard Committee (IASC) that are pursuing harmonization of accounting standards. 1.0 ACCOUNTING HARMONIZATION: Many authors have put together different definitions for accounting harmonization in various ways. It would seem not an easy word to define, as neither the European Commission nor other organs of the commission have explicitly defined the concept of accounting harmonization (Christopher Nobes, 1992). Some have even complicated the whole concept, by attempting to substitute harmonization with standardization, as if to mean that the process is the same, rather than making it more compatible. In practice, harmonization of accounting tends to mean the process of increasing the compatibility of accounting practices by setting bounds for the degree of variations (Nobes, 1992). This can be accepted to be the most suitable definition of the concept. Harmonization of accounting standards has become a highly demanded issue of discussion and debate among accounting professionals around the globe. Accounting Standards are the authoritative statements of best accounting practices issued by recognized expert accountancy bodies relating to various aspects of measurements, treatments and disclosures of accounting transactions and events, as related to the codification of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These are stated to be the norms of accounting policies and practices by way of codes or guidelines to direct as to how the items, which make up the financial statements, should be dealt with in accounts and presented in the annual accounts. In fact, such statements are designed and prescribed to improve and benchmark the quality of financial reporting. They bring about uniformity in financial reporting and ensure consistency and comparability in the data published by enterprises. These are aimed at furnishing useful info rmation to different users of the financial statements, such as shareholders, creditors, lenders, management, investors, suppliers, competitors, researchers, regulatory bodies and society at large(Shil et al. 2009). The process of harmonization gives the global community a single entity. The diversity of stockholding doesnt matter today if the accounting system can generate general purpose financial statements in real sense. Thus, along with the process of globalization, the awareness of investors in capital markets has increased manifold and the size of investors is multiplying. Foreign institution investors (FIIs) are investing in significant volumes globally, as also are several Indian companies through GDRs (Global Depository Receipts) and ADRs (American Depository Receipts). Hence, the need for harmonization of accounting standards has been strongly advocated globally in order to faster the economic decision-making process(Shil et al. 2009). Wallace, et al (1997) argue that the mission for international harmonization of reporting practices cannot be as easy as looking at a cash flow statement, where you identify different ways of categorizing cash flows, alternative formats of presenting cash flows from operating activities and just many other differences. In addition, several issues such as: the bad debts provision; valuing marketable securities; and the treatment of long-term contracts, can be considered specific and given particular treatment. The role of the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) for example is to issue accounting standards in the United Kingdom. It is recognised as a standard setting body in the UK for the purposes of Section 256(1) of the UK Companies Act 1985 and in Northern Ireland for the purposes of Article 264(1) of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.(Mccallig et al. 2010). 1.1 The Need for Harmonization The increased globalisation of capital markets has resulted in a need for international accounting standards. In an increasingly globalised world, it is clear that financial statements of companies operating under different accounting management systems are not easily comparable. This has led to the need and development of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) whose stated objective is the development of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"a single set of high quality, understandable, enforceable and globally-acceptable International Financial Reporting Standards (Mccallig et al. 2010) This harmonization is needed due to the globalization of businesses and services and an increase in cross-border investments and borrowings(Zeff 2011). Some of the benefits of harmonization are: It ensures reliable and high quality financial reporting and disclosures in certain cases; it can prove to be crucial to the economic and financial development of a country. It enables a systematic review and evaluation of the performance of say multinational companies having subsidiaries and associates in various countries wherein each country has its own set of GAAP. It makes the comparison of the performance of a company against its domestic and international peers easier and more meaningful. It adds to the international credibility of a company. It is a precursor for accessing international capital markets which can, in turn, reduce the capital cost and consequently, improve the performance of a company. It provides a level playing field where no country is advantaged or disadvantaged by its GAAP. (Mogul 2003) Additional benefits of a global financial reporting framework that can be achieved through harmonization are numerous and can include greater comparability of financial information for investors, greater willingness on the part of investors to invest across borders, lower cost of capital, more efficient allocation of resources; and even higher economic growth not only for companies and organizations but for governments also. 2.0 IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES The most fundamental of obstacles to achieving uniform practice is the size of the present differences between the accounting practices of different countries. Using the different types of classifications of accounting systems used in different countries, there are several significant differences even within the equity class, let alone between that class and the other. These differences go to the root of the reasons for the preparation of accounting information(Nobes 2001). Still, there are a couple of strong variants of accounting practices (say, for example, US GAAP, UK GAAP, IAS etc.) over the world existed and practiced simultaneously. These variants are working as threats towards harmonization of accounting practices. However, the profession has also witnessed some improvements in recent years in the process of global convergence putting some ray of hope. International and even local standard setting bodies have come up with projects of harmonization and in most of the cases became successful. The day is not far away when we will observe that accounting world is controlled and guided by a single set of standards giving it a status of legal discipline in true sense(Shil et al. 2009) Implementation challenges at the international and national levels of the objectives of an improved and harmonized reporting system being achieved are still evident. For example the question of how the IASB should cope with the Securities and exchange commissions (SEC) eventual decision to adopt, converge to, or continue to study International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as the financial reporting framework to be used by U.S. issuers? The process of mutual convergence between IFRS and U.S. GAAP, which has been an avowed policy of both the IASB and the FASB since 2002, will surely not extend beyond the terminal dates of the major projects currently heading toward completion.37 Countries that have signed on to IFRS, as well as the leadership of the IASB, believe that the time is nigh for the SEC finally to decide whether to commit to IFRS, or not. If it does not, the IASB must consider the consequences of an IFRS world without the United States. Considering that the U.S. capit al market is still the largest and most important in the world, and the SEC is the worlds most respected securities market regulator (Zeff 2011). 3.0 CONCLUSIONS A significant number of entities and countries around the world have adopted International Financial reporting Standards (IFRS) as their basis for financial reporting, often initially regarding these as a means of improving their quality of information on corporate performance. The benefits of adopting IFRS have been extended to include winning the trust investors, greater willingness on the part of investors and companies themselves to invest across borders, lowering of capital costs to companies, more efficient allocation of resources; and even higher economic growth not only for companies and organizations but for governments also. On the overall one can argue that this approach to financial management can greatly impact the global economy as a whole.

The Maori Culture Essay -- Zealand Religion Spiritual Essays Papers Na

The Maori Culture Introduction The following paper examines the history and religion of the ancient Maori people. It is my belief that exploration of traditional belief systems and ritualistic practices will lead to a greater understanding of the Maori culture in present-day New Zealand. The objective of the paper is to illustrate the Maoris’ unique perception and spiritual connection with their natural environment. Brief Maori History The Maori, â€Å"Children of Heaven†, are the indigenous people of New Zealand. It has been thought that Polynesian navigator Kupe, discovered New Zealand in 950 AD, and named the island Aotearoa, â€Å"Land of the long white cloud†.1 The Maori migrated to New Zealand from the tropical islands of Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. The long voyage was made possible by the Maoris’ ability to use the stars, birds’ flights, cloud patterns, and the water’s color to guide their canoes to shore.1 Upon arrival, the Maori settled into various tribes (Iwi) and sub-tribes (Hapu) across the island.3 In order to adapt to the cool, damp climate and rough terrain of New Zealand, the Maori created durable shelter and clothing. They resourcefully utilized the wood and flax fibers from the abundant forests to build homes and weave clothing.4 The Maori tribes were able to evolve and flourish as a result of hunting and agriculture. The relative isolation of the island enabled the Maori to develop a rich, unique culture.5 Thus, the Maori culture was able to resist crumbling under European colonization in 1769. Regardless of the Europeans’ incessant fight for land ownership, the Maori persisted in viewing that the land as â€Å"Mother Earth’s placenta† and not belonging to anyone.3 It is remarkable that the Maori withstood... ... belong to humans; rather the humans belong to the land.3 The perspective that humans play a small role in the universe’s movement is a humbling thought. The Maori live their lives as human beings, while allowing nature to live its life. As seen above with the seasonal rituals, the Maori have a deep understanding, reliance, and respect for nature. It is their brothers’ that bring the seasonal weather changes and the life cycles that result. Thus, the Maori view the variable climate of New Zealand in a deep, meaningful light. Bibliography http://www.geocites.com/TheTropics/Shores/9338/culture.htm 1 http://www.crystalinks.com/maori.html http://travel-by-mouse.com/page.asp?PageID=151&LangID=2 5 http://www.pacificislandtravel.com/new_zealand/about_destin/maoritanga.html 6 http://www.ace.net.au/darkmoon/kiwipag.htm 7 http://www.hakoke.com/wheel.html