...Kevin Durant Paper Pride matters in the NBA, but not more than skill. When Kevin Durant drops 40 on an opponent, they don’t begrudge him his talent. What kills them is that the kid looks like he’s 15! Actually, that’s not too far off. By taking the NBA by storm as a 19-year-old—and winning league scoring titles just a few years later—Kevin has given Oklahoma City fans a lot to get noisy about. Not bad for a player who considered quitting his high school team as a frosh and then spent all of one season in college. Kevin may be a young gun, but he is definitely gunning for greatness in Oklahoma City. This is his story… GROWING UP Kevin Wayne Durant was born September 29, 1988 in Washington, D.C. (Click here for a complete listing of today's sports birthdays.) He grew up with his older brother Tony in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, just outside the nation’s capitol. They were raised by their mother Wanda Pratt and her mother Barbara Davis. Their father, Wayne Pratt, left the family before Kevin’s first birthday. He came back into his son’s life when Kevin was around the age of 13. Both parents worked for the government—Wayne for the Library of Congress and Wanda as a postal employee. Kevin was always the tallest boy in his class—and very self-conscious about his height. His mother asked his teachers to put him at the end of lines, so he wouldn't stand out as much. His grandmother Barbara consoled him, saying that his height was a blessing—just wait and see. Over the years...
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...at the end of every season that they feel has exhibited talent and leadership above the rest. In his 2014 acceptance speech of the NBA’s most valuable player, Kevin Durant makes a persuasive argument about how he got to where he is today using his credibility, logic, and emotion. Many would not consider Kevin Durant an author because he hasn’t written a book. However, through the writing and presentation of his acceptance speech, Kevin Durant creates the story of his past for the audience, making him an author of his story and of this speech. Durant uses credibility in order to persuade the audience of his past and what has brought him to where he is. The MVP award is selected by a series of votes taken by sportswriters, broadcasters, and basketball fans. A large number of these people saw that Durant had the talent and the leadership they were looking for, resulting in him being presented with the award of MVP. This demonstrates the level of respect and reverence that people have for Kevin Durant. Over the course of the speech he went on to single out each and every one of his teammates and described in what way they had helped him to reach earning MVP. Whether it was on the court or off the court, Durant gave account to real life stories that involved every player on the team. This shows the character of Kevin Durant and the time he took to recall the influence of each of his teammates. The audience can tell from the fact that all these players are here with him, making each...
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...The city of Oklahoma City has experienced a great loss this summer, they have lost something that can never be replaced and that they may never be able to recover from. This thing or should I say, this person was someone the city has built itself around and the person who represented all of what Oklahoma City stood for. Oklahoma City was honest, tough, both physically and mentally, and had the qualities of a great leader or so that’s what we thought this person stood for. This individual was the center piece of an entire city and was the hero and champion that Oklahoma City. As of now this person has turned his back on the city he once called home and has taken his talents to the west coast. This individual is none other than Kevin Durant....
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...Corporate Social Responsibility Nike has contributed in different kind of social services. Based on our research, we had found that Nike has been helping the adolescent girl in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Rwanda. It provide massive resources to adolescent girls. Nike formed Girl Hub, a strategic collaboration with the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) aimed at transforming the lives of adolescent girls living in poverty by engaging girls themselves as active participants in 2010. They worked in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Rwanda to create programs for girls, with girls. Girl Hub delivers results for girls in a variety of ways – family planning, direct assets, resource creation for girls in humanitarian settings, and through research and data disaggregation. Besides that, they are also getting girls on the international development agenda. Ten years ago, girls were widely invisible to the global development community. In 2008, the girl effect launched as a concept to radically change the way policymakers and funders viewed girls’ development issues. Accompanied by a short film that caught the attention of global leaders at the 2009 World Economic Forum, the girl effect has since evolved into a global movement aimed at inspiring and equipping individuals, networks and organizations with the tools and information they need to make the girl effect happen. From the halls of the World Bank to the stage of the Clinton Global Initiative and beyond, the Nike Foundation has partnered...
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...Black Hawk Down: Battle of Mogadishu “War was ugly and evil, for sure, but it was still the way things got done on most of the planet.” (Bowden 1999) Mark Bowden’s book, Black Hawk Down, is a great novel. This book portrays the struggles and triumphs of the men who fought over in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993. In this book, we are able to see firsthand experiences of the men of the U.S. Rangers and Delta Force. Their main objective is to capture a Somali drug lord, Mohamed Farrah Aidid. However, things take a turn for the worst throughout the book, and the reader gets to see what it’s like to fight a modern battle. I choose this book because I love learning about military events that have happened in our nation’s existence. Military novels allow me to get a feel for what it’s like to fight and defend our country. I feel like more military events need to be taught in school to help people understand the sacrifices that our armed forces take every day. Overall, Black Hawk Down is a great novel that gives great insight to the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. The book is broken up into five main parts. First, it starts out with the initial assault from the U.S. Rangers and Delta Force. In this chapter, we learn about the entire plot to go into the city of Mogadishu and retrieve someone of importance to the U.S. in regards to the drug cartel. Everything is going great until one of the Rangers falls out of the helicopter and get severely hurt. This mishap causes the entire mission to...
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...1. In October 1993, American forces went into Somalia to begin assisting relief operations to help the citizens of Mogadishu. “They had come close to grabbing Aidid several times but that was not their only goal” (22). Their main mission on October 3, 1993, for the seventh time, was to capture Aidid and his men. Unfortunately, the intent of this mission was not successful due intervention by civilian solders. 2. In the early moments of the Battle of Mogadishu, the “US Army Rangers and Delta Force operators who were about to drop in uninvited on a gathering of Habr Gidr clan leaders” (3) that were holding a meeting caused the mission to take a turn in the wrong direction. This uninvited drop in had an impact on the mission because “this clan was led by a warlord Mohammed Farrah Aldid,” who was known to have attempted to kill US Army soldiers before “had picked a fight with the United States and it was no doubt going down”(3). 3. Eversmann was made the leader of his chalk because he was experienced and had known all of his “chalk” members “so well they were like brother.” (3). Also two other “men in front of him had been sent home due to illness and seizure” (10). A majority of the men under Eversmann were shot, however Eversmann had escaped any injury. 4. Chief Officer Wolcott was the pilot of the Black Hawk Super Six One. He was a well-liked pilot. “His unflappable cool had earned him the nickname ‘Elvis’, that and his dead on impression of the late rock...
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...Program (HIP), also known as the Pink Batts Scheme, was primarily designed to boost the domestic economy in 2009 following the GFC, but it was beset by controversy. The $2.8 billion job-generating scheme, offering free insulation to two million households, was scrapped prematurely in 2010 after it was blamed for the deaths of four insulation workers and more than 100 house fires. This essay will attempt to analyse the impact of the HIP and argue whether governments (Commonwealth or States) or business were responsible for the health and safety of workers involved with the HIP. In February 2009, the Rudd government (Government) unveiled the HIP as part of its stimulus package in respond to the GFC. This program may have been stemmed from Kevin Rudd’s (2009, pp 28-29) belief that “Labor, in the international tradition of social democracy, consistently argues for a central role for government in the regulation of markets and the provision of public goods”; and it has “acted to help the real economy, to stimulate economic activity by investing in targeted job creation”. The Hawke Review (Review) (2010, pp vi-viii) in its report stated that the HIP has two objectives which were to generate economic stimulus and support jobs and small business; and to improve the energy efficiency of homes. Any objective assessment of the HIP will conclude that, despite the...
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...[pic] Current events exercises Article/Source Details: ‘Toyota plans green and gold car’ by John Kerin, The Australian Financial Review, Tuesday June 10th, 2008, p. 4 Chapter/s in text article related to: Chapter 1 and Chapter 11. Article Summary: During a recent visit to Japan by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Toyota announced plans to produce a hybrid Camry at its Melbourne plant. The announcement comes after months of behind the scenes negotiations between Industry Minister Kim Carr and Toyota executives. Mr Rudd is anxious to have a locally built hybrid car available to the Australian market as soon as possible. There are two reasons behind Mr Rudd’s push for the hybrid car. Firstly, he believes Australians should have the option of buying a locally built hybrid car, and secondly, recent sharp rises in fuel costs have accentuated the need for more fuel efficient vehicles. As further incentive, Mr Rudd stated that government fleet purchases would include the Australian built hybrid car. Critical Thinking Questions: Question 1: In what way does this agreement underline the different strategic conditions at work in a smaller economy such as that of Australia? Question 2: Without government intervention and financial assistance, what would most likely be the trigger that would prompt a car manufacturer in Australia to produce a new model based on new technology? Question 3: Discuss the implications of the Federal Government making a commitment...
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...Australia seems to be stuck between its economic interests, which lie with China and Asia, and traditional ties with the America. General Peter Leahy warns of US-China collision FORMER Australian army chief Peter Leahy has urged Australia to tread warily in expanding its military ties with the US to ensure they do not "lead to increased tension and even conflict" with China. [pic] the Australian, 12 April, 2012 Warning against becoming "caught" between the US as its security guarantor and China as its economic underwriter, Professor Leahy has welcomed Australia's decision to play host to US marines, but noted that "too much of a good thing" could put unnecessary pressure on China. His comments, in an opinion piece in today's edition of The Australian, came as the China Daily state-owned newspaper hit out at Australia's expanding links with the US, warning they could spark a collapse of trust and endanger Sino-Australian economic ties. In a strongly worded editorial, the newspaper yesterday also warned that the Gillard government's decision last month to ban Chinese communications giant Huawei from bidding for work in the $36 billion National Broadband Network had created the perception in Beijing that Australia wanted to obstruct Chinese companies. But, as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insisted her nation wanted close and peaceful relations with Beijing, Julia Gillard rejected the Chinese newspaper's suggestion that Australian foreign policy was...
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...September 25, 2013 Title: World War Z Directed by: Marc Forster Written by: Matthew Michael Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox Running time: 116 minutes Rated: PG-13 for intense frightening zombie sequences, violence and disturbing images Before the movie was released there where a lot of rumors about it, key executives were fired, the production was far above budget, scenes had to be rewritten and filmed again. On top of that creative differences between director Marc Foster and main actor/producer Brad Pitt would eventually cause the movie to come out half a year late. Whatever the rumors may have been, the result is not bad at all. The movie is immediately off to a very fast start, within 5 minutes all hell breaks loose. Before that we are introduced to Gary (Brad Pitt) who is a former UN-employee who quit working to spend more time with his family. He travels to Philadelphia where, while waiting for heavy traffic, a huge zombie outbreak takes place out of nowhere. Hundreds of people attack each other and then arise from the death, off course this is answered with huge panic from surrounding people. It doesn’t take long before it’s clear that sudden outbreak is actually a worldwide epidemic virus release. Gary is asked to travel around the world to find a cure, by finding the source of the virus. This panic and action turned out to be a great introduction for all the nerve-racking scenes that would later follow. Never before...
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...A Little Bit of Soul and a Lot of Success* IN the fall of 1983, a young man from Houston, named Michael, enrolled in the University of Texas intending to major in pre-med as his parents had wished. While taking classes, he continued the business he had begun in high school, upgrading personal computers for friends and teachers—this time out of his dorm room. By the start of the second semester, he had made enough money to move himself (secretly) and the business to a condo. By semester's end, he had rented office space, hired a few employees, and officially launched the Dell Computer Corporation. University days were over, and a great American business success story had begun. Ten years later at age 28, Michael Dell had become the youngest person to be CEO of a Fortune 500 company. During the 1990s, his startup had surpassed IBM to become the second largest computer manufacturer in the world. And by the end of that decade Dell passed Compaq to claim the title as top computer manufacturer and seller globally. In doing so, Dell achieved a seemingly impossible goal he had set early on. Michael Dell's success was due in part to his high intelligence, healthy ambition, and exceptional will to win. He also surrounded himself with smart people and allowed them to manage important functions of the company. He developed the strategic vision of being a global leader in personal computer markets by staying close to the customers and selling direct. And, Dell worked closely with his...
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...LEATHER COUCH By Oscar ’’Dr. Wizard’’ von Fraunhofer Im Freiburg, 24/04/2016 Englisch Prefüng There are many things I think about now when I sit and I’m restless and sweating in a fucking warm leather couch in a 80 degrees warm townhouse in the slumbering province in Baden-Württemberg where I grew up and ran away from and like many other provinces seems to be of people whose lives consists of days structured about: When you eat and when the children shit When cross eyed hairdresser Karnel Jennel on the square has holiday closed When the weather is on the news and here on if you get yelled or not get yelled which is almost obligatory under every forecast: That they don’t promise what they say that they don’t know what they are talking about that they could fucking come with some better weather than heatwaves and rain and sleet and crap with crap on and even though you already know that the weather host no possible way has a divine finger in the game that should make him able to pull any weather across the country that suits him and even if he had such a creepy divine weather finger then you already know that he won’t hear shit about what you yell at him because you sit and yell from your leather couch in Freiburg against a careless electronic box in front of the wall in the living room as standard equipment doesn’t have a microphone built in that would be able to send your complaining directly out through a giant pair of speakers ...
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...The reality, however, is that hackers are a very diverse bunch, a group simultaneously blamed with causing billions of dollars in damages as well as credited with the development of the World Wide Web and the founding of major tech companies. In this article, we test the theory that truth is better than fiction by introducing you to ten of the most famous hackers, both nefarious and heroic, to let you decide for yourself. Black Hat Crackers The Internet abounds with hackers, known as crackers or "black hats," who work to exploit computer systems. They are the ones you've seen on the news being hauled away for cybercrimes. Some of them do it for fun and curiosity, while others are looking for personal gain. In this section we profile five of the most famous and interesting "black hat" hackers. Jonathan James: James gained notoriety when he became the first juvenile to be sent to prison for hacking. He was sentenced at 16 years old. In an anonymous PBS interview, he professes, "I was just looking around, playing around. What was fun for me was a challenge to see what I could pull off." James's major intrusions targeted high-profile organizations. He installed a backdoor into a Defense Threat Reduction Agency server. The DTRA is an agency of the Department of Defense charged with reducing the threat to the U.S. and its allies from nuclear, biological, chemical, conventional and special weapons. The backdoor he created enabled him to view sensitive emails and capture employee...
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...REGIONAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Since the early 1990’s consecutive Australian governments have recognised the importance of regional development to relieve the effects of urban sprawl and to bridge the gap between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. In Australia, the role of regional development has traditionally been driven by both state and local governments. This said, the Commonwealth Government has consistently offered support and leadership in addressing regional challenges and promoting economic development. While Commonwealth intervention makes sense in terms of financial capacity, this intervention has often resulted in unnecessary and costly overlap and duplication between national, state and local governments. A national framework adequately funded, resourced and linked specifically to each local government would provide a more sensible approach to achieving long-term sustainable outcomes for regional communities. In 2008 the Commonwealth Government set up 55 Regional Development Australia (RDA) Committees to bring together national, state and local bodies and provide a united and consistent approach to regional Australia. This assignment will review the role and effectiveness of RDA Committees in addressing economic, environmental and social change in regional Australia and thereby question the effectiveness of government in the delivery of regional development. In doing so, the assignment highlights the importance of local programs (based on community...
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...under the shadow of the most lucrative company of the 21st century Nike. Even though Under Armour has been working under Nike’s shadow they can't be considered to far back. Under Armour has worked itself up into becoming the second most popular athletic apparel in America, surprisingly beating Adidas in the market. Many would think that Adidas would be Nike’s only competitor but speaking statically Under Armour is right behind Nike eating into Nike’s market share. Under Armour was founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank the CEO and chairman of Under Armour and it all started from his grandmother's basement in Washington, D.C. The company is now based in Baltimore,...
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