Category: Party

Political events are the interface among residents and the state. Its’s the celebration gadget which offers a multitude of effective, huge and small, National and nearby. Let’s start with some history approximately the celebration politics I India. During the colonial times, they mobilized human beings for the freedom struggle, articulated countrywide interests and the hobbies of various social companies and lessons, participated in electoral politics. Over the past 60 years, the political events in India have undergone a high-quality rely of change, and both in the quantity and first-rate of the parties. The Indian National Congress (INC) emerged as a dominant party throughout the Fifties as it exercised distinct control over the government on the centre and in maximum of the states in our usa. So, right away after independence, India noticed the emergence of a celebration device wherein many parties were gift but just one birthday party ruled. Many political analysts and researches defined it as an ‘Umbrella Party’ or a ‘celebration of consensus’. There were several Congress leaders who have been both dissatisfied with the policies of the birthday party or disenchanted due to loss of get right of entry to to electricity had fashioned numerous events, such as the Swatantra birthday celebration, Kranti Dal, and Kerala Congress. The Congress party was no longer inclined to relinquish this declare, when the foundation of a democratic, constitutional, elected republic become being laid and after it had in reality, been put up in a place. The ‘ministerialist’ wing of the birthday celebration, led by using Jawaharlal Nehru. The celebration employer’s function, as Nehru often pressured, had to be limited to formulating broad policy goals and not stray into the business of policymaking, let alone the implementation or execution of coverage. It become simplest with the advent of Indira Gandhi as the top of the birthday party, after the Congress cut up, and the government, that a big reworking of the birthday celebration government equation was affected. Once Indira Gandhi had subverted the birthday party organisation to bring it underneath her private manage with the assist of a very small circle and subverted the functioning of the authorities by means of concentrating strength in her very own hands, the problem of party-authorities dynamics became irrelevant because the cautiously hammered out constitutional consensus and method itself was junked. To the quantity that Indira Gandhi functioned largely out of doors the framework of constitutional practice. Since 1977 and previous to the fifteenth widespread elections of 2009, the Congress Party has been in strength for 9 years as a majority authorities; five beginning as a minority authorities and sooner or later gaining a tenuous majority; and 5 as the leader of a coalition. The failure of the Janata Party experiment of 1977 had supposed a return to unambiguous Congress Party rule for almost a decade. But the failure of the next non-Congress Party to cohere in 1989-91 had unique results. At the country wide degree, the question of the relationship between the Congress as an corporation and the Congress government was thrown into high alleviation when the Congress Party President, Acharya J B Kripalani resigned in 1946 alleging that he changed into now not being taken into self belief by using participants of the authorities, and that the celebration agency was becoming irrelevant. Kripalani even secured Gandhi’s approval of his view that the Congress Working Committee (cwc) become no longer being kept thoroughly ap prised of government policy, and that this will undermine the authorities because the Congress become in contact with the people and became the conduit thru which public opinion may want to filter again to the authorities and assist it serve the people. There become an undated AICC notice about the birthday party system played with the aid of congress celebration, the word said that, it changed into a social organism whose important challenge was the exercise of social manage via the government. The be aware went on to mention (now not necessarily with a incredible amount of consistency) that the birthday celebration gadget became an group which become intended to complement the authorities. By the Nineteen Fifties, the authorities wing of the Congress changed into gaining the upper hand. The supremacy of the authorities over the Congress intended a redefinition of the assets of political legitimacy: whilst the colonial state had existed, the Congress had de rived its personal legitimacy by using laying declare to being the organised expression of the ‘national will’ which become counterpoised to the illegitimate colonial nation. At the time of Seventies, Indira Gandhi turned the Congress party into an organization directed from the prime minister’s office. And with a populist marketing campaign based totally at the slogan referred to as garibi-hatao (abolition of poverty), After that Congress accomplished thoroughly within the 1971 trendy election, with the aid of securing 352 of the 518 general seats in Parliament and re-organising Congress governments in all however no longer in two states. Mrs. Gandhi then took private manage of Congress affairs, as opposed to permitting conflicts to be resolved at lower degrees as had with Nehru. Decisions about the picks of chief ministers and country shelves ‘this have been made by Mrs. Gandhi herself in session with a clique of her personal advisors.’ Mrs. Gandhi disregarded and appointed Congress leader ministers and exercised, through the Office of the President, the authorities’s prerogative became to push aside the competition in the nation assembly.

The de-institutionalization of the Indian National Congress Party (INC) under Mrs. Indira Gandhi was the essential theme within the submit-colonial history of the Congress party. In a troubled monetary surroundings, although the Allahabad High Court observed Mrs. Indira Gandhi responsible of violating minor elections regulations. And she changed into ordered to renounce from the office and turned into banned from holding office for 6 years. After that, days later in the sooner hours of 26 June 1975, Mrs. Gandhi declared a kingdom of countrywide emergency and that became a outstanding surprise for every citizen of our u . S .. Morarji Desai, the conservative finance minister to whom Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had brushed off in a gap war of words with the Syndicate, had turn out to be high minister at the top of the Janata coalition. The Janata coalition, had however, proved to be volatile, and the voters lower back to the Congress to energy at the centre in elections in May 1980. The boom of all non-Congress political events, that have thrice-held energy at the centre, had in large part been made feasible only via defections and expulsions from the Congress party and which made it greater risky.

The Congress has gradually misplaced its as soon as being maximum dependable support from extensive constituencies in view that Mrs. Gandhi’s emergency had seriously injured maximum of the relationship between Congress and Muslim citizens. Muslims, the lower caste, and the scheduled caste ingredients, who had as soon as regularly voted for the Congress, had regularly shifted their guide to the Janata Dal and to numerous other local parties who had been simply supporting them. State governments have vast authority in maximum financial and social sectors, together with the agriculture and enterprise, schooling and labour. The evolution of the political birthday party device in our united states has been closely encouraged by means of many difficult competitions between political events over public sources on the country wide and country tiers. The states were not best having a unique political histories and diverse cultures, however also many wonderful political parties and configurations of celebration opposition. In many Indian states, primarily within the southern and jap states, the versions of a -celebration machine had emerged. After that nevertheless, inside the April/May 1996 parliamentary elections, while the Congress birthday celebration had received simply 28.8 in line with cent of the vote, that’s the bottom percent of the famous vote in a trendy election, its vote nevertheless surpassed that of any other birthday celebration. Then BJP won the largest variety of seats with just 20.3 percentage of the famous vote, and focused inside the Hindi heartland states of Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In handiest 5 of 25 states and union territories, Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, right here did the Congress acquire less than 30 percentage of the vote, but while the BJP acquired extra than 30 percentage of the vote in only five states. The Congress celebration suffered tremendous decline in aid among the years 1991 and 1996 Lok Sabha elections. However, the birthday celebration remains the first or 2d maximum extensive birthday party in all however one state. Despite its decline, Congress remains the most great countrywide political birthday celebration. No birthday celebration has ever out-accomplished the Congress birthday celebration in percentage of the vote secured in preferred election. Even within the April/May 1996 popular election, the 0.33 time wherein the Congress did not cozy the seats necessary to shape a central authority at the centre, no different party won a higher proportion of the popular vote than did the Congress. And at the same time, non-Congress political events, along with the BJP and a few other local events, at the moment are well-mounted in India’s celebration device. Through the celebration splitting and many electoral defeats, the Congress birthday party has modified plenty on account that its founding greater than a century in the past. Under the reign of Indira Gandhi, the Congress celebration in authorities helped to undermine the Congress corporation.

The agreement by using the huge top-caste subsidized BJP and all the scheduled caste Bahujan Samaj Party have been to exchange at governing Uttar Pradesh for a period of six months each indicates that caste illustration does now not produce the equilibrium of the pastimes that anticipated in the unique idea of pluralism. Pluralism is a political philosophy which is used for the popularity of diversity within a political body.

While India’s political parties have more and more appealed to the caste loyalties and communal divisions, Indian citizens had tended to act as though their pastimes had been un-fixed. The Indian voter has a completely robust choice in opposition to incumbents.

The film I selected to review was the teen surfing musical hit, Beach Party. This film was written by Lou Rusoff, directed by William Asher, and released in the United States on August 7, 1963. The music was arranged and composed by Les Baxter and featured artists including Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, and Dick Dale and his Del-Tones. This film became very popular with young teens and young adults because it covered topics that young people deal with including carefree summer fun, the peer pressure of summer flings, and discovering what it means to truly be in love. Beach Party can be placed in several different genre categories including comedy, period piece, and most notably the musical. The film even created its own genre known as the beach party film. While soundtracks can sometimes overpower a film’s plot, Beach Party’s playlist helped bring an element of authenticity to the film’s period setting with its playful lyrics and youthful new vibes of up-and-coming rock and roll styles.

An important actor and performer in this film is Frankie Avalon. Avalon was born on September 18, 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was a member of the first wave of teen idols. He broke into the music industry as a child trumpet player, and released his first single at age nineteen. Avalon achieved six number one hits over a four-year period including “Venus” and “De De Dinah.” In 1962, Avalon’s music career was on the verge of fading away, but thanks to his charming good looks, he landed a lead role alongside Annette Funicello in Beach Party and several more surfer films. These films paved the way for future movie roles including the classics Grease (1978) and Blood Song (1982). In 1995, Avalon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to honor him and the influence he had on the next generation of up-and-coming rock musicians. Mr. Frankie Avalon will always hold a special place in American teen idol history for being not only a heartthrob, but also for maintaining a successful music career and participating in the evolution of rock and roll.

While the young cast of Beach Party included several music performers, they were not cast to portray themselves as artists, but simply as young American teens enjoying a carefree summer fun before taking on the responsibilities of adulthood. The music in the film played a critical part, with an upbeat feel throughout that made the audience want to dance. As part of the plot, Frankie Avalon and Dick Dale sang songs that inspired their friends to twist their bodies and move, most often in a suggestive manner. In contrast, Annette Funicello’s character sang songs mostly about love and being kind to her lover so he wouldn’t have the desire to stray away from her and pursue other females. Overall, the role of the music in the film was to inspire a feeling of being young and alive, and enjoy the summer fun.

The film was set during the early 1960s, and is connected to the material learned in Units 4 and 5 on Teen Idols and Surf Music. Surf music was very popular in the early 1960s, and stood out from other genres as a distinct movement of the era. Overall, the film promoted a positive message and easy-going vibe. Although this film is over fifty years old, the topics are still relatable to the social norms of today’s target audience of teens. Themes included the causality of summer flings and relationships, learning the difference between lust and love, standing against peer pressure, learning how to effectively communicate wants and needs, dealing with jealousy, and the hopes of building long-term relationships.

In one important scene, Dick Dale unveiled his electric guitar and started to play a dance-oriented rock song with his friends on the beach, while the Professor narrated what he was witnessing and made a comparison to native voodoo mating rituals he has observed in other cultures. This song was important to the film because its instrumentation and style inspired the young teens to get up and start dancing and twisting in the mating-dance type of performance. The electric guitar solo/riff was important to note because it encouraged the kids to let loose by dancing, shaking, and twisting harder and faster, along with getting closer together and jumping around to attract attention. This scene could also serve as a foreshadowing of how young adults turned wild when listening to rock and roll music.

In another important scene, Avalon was prompted to sing and dance with a female, while his male friends supported him with background vocals. He sang about how the girl’s dancing rustled his feathers and made him crave her, and did not want her to stop. Soon every teen in the building began to get up and dance in pairs, while his love interest sat alone with a disapproving look on her face. Avalon allowed females to dance up against him on purpose to make his love interest jealous, which proved effective when she claimed that he was acting like an “over-sexed maniac.” This song was important because of the lyrics “Don’t stop now… What you’re doing is getting to me… Don’t hold back… You make my temperature rise.” The performance was important because up until this point, there had not been much bodily contact during a musical number.

This film review has been helpful in the learning process of this class because it showed how the different elements of a song can convey different emotions. For example, Annette Funicello’s performance of “Treat Him Nicely” was a completely opposite song style compared to the rest of the film’s playlist. It presented a slower tempo, an emotional lead vocal, soft back-up vocals, and a string section rather than a guitar. This song was a notable change of pace, and it offered the audience a chance to feel some of the character’s vulnerability and hidden desire for love. Additionally, this review introduced various artists who helped shape the future of rock music.

The benefit that related-party transactions can offer is contracting efficiency. Related parties can help the businesses to overcome the disincentives or delays that often occur in negotiating contracts with third parties, perhaps with related transactions it could boost up the business operations especially those in the business of providing a variety of services. For instance, Hong Kong’s Yue Yuen Industrial (Holdings) Limited, maker of footwear and apparel for Nike and other brands contracted with Taiwan-listed Pou Chen Corporation also unlisted Golden Brands Developments Limited whom both controlled by the Tsai family. Their substantial shareholders are for raw material supplies and services ranging from leather tanning to provision of accommodations for their workers. These transactions are conducted under normal commercial terms, independently audited, and appropriately disclosed to or approved by minority shareholders; thus, they can be a superior option to the uncertainty that comes with dealing with unfamiliar third parties who may not follow the stringent workplace standards of Yue Yuen’s image-conscious clients.

Related Party Transactions (RPT) is a transactions incurred in business where the transactions is between reporting party and related party, as defined in MFRS 124 the related party consist of Investor, Key Management Personnel, Close Family Members, Joint Venture and Subsidiaries. (CFA, 2009) A related-party transaction takes place when a deal is entered into by at least two entities, where one has control over the other or where the parties come under the same control of another. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) defines it as a transfer of resources, services, or obligations between related parties regardless of whether a price is charged. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) defines it as a transaction between related parties even though it may not be given accounting recognition; for example, one entity may receive services from a second, related entity without charge and without recording a receipt of services. In RPT, it could be Capital Relationship, Personnel Relationship, Transaction Relationship and Status as Related Party. Second benefits of RPT, they will benefit in strategic feedback. Persons affiliated with the company may be able to provide relevant knowledge if they represent certain groups with whom the company does business. A company with a large number of suppliers, customers, and advisers may need to nominate individuals to the board who are aligned with these entities to ensure that the company has the expertise it needs to make reasoned decisions. A convenience store chain, for instance, may have a franchisee on its board of directors to make sure that it gets ready feedback on how its planned branding campaign would affect franchisees; a supplier, meanwhile, could provide insights on how logistical changes would alter the supply chain. Lastly, RPTs is very useful as the facilitation of investment. A distressed medium-sized company listed in the secondary board, for example, may find itself with limited access to bank credit lines; as such, it may resort to a loan from a wealthy officer or board member who has superior knowledge of its financial and operating prospects.

The role of transnational companies in the world economy has grown significantly in recent decades. This situation is due to globalization and partly reflects the trend of national economies integration and the technological progress. As a result of multinationals expansion, the intra-group commercial transactions have 60% significantly increased (UNCTAD, 2003). The related party transactions are very important for a company, as they have a lot of implications in various fields, such us: accounting reporting, auditing, tax compliance, strategic management, corporate governance etc. (Corlaciu & Tudor, 2011). Most RPT conducted in normal course of an entity’s business, but conceivably, some companies also act improperly or illegally through the medium of related parties. Due to this, the important of disclosure come out, because those act illegally also usually will disclose as a normal businesses transactions. The disclosure requirements of IAS 24 or MFRS 124 cannot prevent illegal actions or fraud. It sets out how related party relationships, transactions and balances should be identified and what disclosures should be made, and when. The related party transactions audit represents an important part of a financial statements audit. The detection of related parties and related party transactions as well are between the most important and difficult issues of a financial statements audit. (Corlaciu & Tudor, 2011) this part of an audit is fateful because of the following reasons, the demand under generally accepted accounting standards to present material related party transactions and particular control relationships, the possibility to distort or mislead the financial statements in the lack of appropriate disclosure, and the evidences of fraudulent financial reporting or misappropriation of assets which were encouraged, among others, by the existence of undisclosed related parties. The accounting world had been woke with several fraud cases relating to RPT that that led to a question of appropriateness and efficiency of the current standard. Enron, Adelphia, Tycoon where the international fraud history happened, not to mention, fraud related to RPT also had happened locally for instance, MISC Berhad, 1MDB the most controversial, and the closed case of auditor murdered during the investigation of billion loss of Bumiputera Finance Bank. ISA 550, the auditor has the responsibility to perform “audit procedures to identify, assess and respond to the risks of material misstatement arising from the entity’s failure to appropriately accounting for or disclose related party relationships, transactions or balances in accordance with the requirements of the financial reporting framework basis on which the reporting statements are performed” (ISA 550, par 3). The auditor has to achieve a proper understanding of an entity’s related party relationship and transactions in each auditing process, even in the cases when the applicable financial reporting framework requires minimal or no related party disclosures, as the auditor needs to be able to assess whether the financial statements are affected by those relationships and transactions (ISA 550 par 4).

According to AICPA (2001), the challenges of auditors face in auditing RPT are; identifying related parties, examining related-party transactions, and ensuring proper disclosure of the transactions. Few fraud cases had been categorized under difficulties of identifying related parties and related party transactions. International Teledata; where the auditors were informed regarding the shares that had been issued and the issuance also had been footnoted in the financial statement, however in the audit procedures regarding the issuance, they were unable to review any board minute meetings and failed to make inquiries to whom the issuance had been made. In their audit work, they also perform the procedures where they found the addition issuance had not been authorized and most of the issued shares “went to related parties in exchange for inadequate consideration”. Meanwhile, in the case of Pacific Waste, the auditors found there was no RPT incurred, but the SEC’s action noted there were RPT incurred. They found five documents related to the RPT which involving the president whom is also an officer, director and controlling shareholder of the investee-company which was used to perpetrate the financial statement fraud in the auditor’s file. In the case of Softpoint and Pantheon the auditor used the Softpoint’s fax machine and a fax number provided by the client for confirmations. Similarly, in the case of Pantheon, the auditor used the fax number provided by the client even though the SEC action notes the number differed from that shown in the banking directory located in the audit files. The inference is that had the auditors independently verified the fax numbers provided, they would have an identified fictitious sales to three companies owned by Softpoint’s president and chairman and identified the forged notes that had been purchased with private funding from Pantheon’s top executives, respectively. The last case which had been red flagged by SEC that indicated Tri-Comp Sensors had a RPT in term of loan. The loan was a large isolated transaction made immediately upon the closing of Sensors’ initial public offering and constituting almost a quarter of the net offering proceeds; no interest was paid on the loan; and there was no written agreement or record documenting the loan terms or purpose. The auditors knew the existence of loan but could not trace the loan made was related party transaction.

On the other hands, there are few fraud cases due to the failure of audit work in examining the related party transactions of businesses. In this case, it can be inferred as the auditors knew the existence, but no adequacy of examinations in the transactions. First case to be discussed is where identification of the related-party transactions was unavoidable, however, the auditor did not perform any audit procedures on the related-party transactions. In the case of Atratech, the top executive instructed the independent auditor to reciprocated the book entries for transactions between two subsidiaries from ‘related-party receivables’ to ‘accounts receivables’ with intention of concealing the relationship.” Meanwhile, in the case of Novaferon, the SEC noted that the company’s finances were not separable from the finances of four other entities which were under common control with Novaferon. The SEC’s action also noted the company maintained virtually with no normal business or accounting records susceptible of audit. The company’s books consisted primarily of a check register. In other cases like PNF Industries, the fraud case happened where the auditor performed testing of the related-party transaction, but the testing enable the auditors to get the accuracy and rigidity of the account. While the auditors of PNF Industries had identified and questioned payments to a related party, they were given falsified supporting records, including fabricated board meeting minutes. The records, however, contained numerous inconsistencies proving that they were fictitious, including references to information that was not known until months after the date on the records. The SEC action stated: “Because this was a material related-party transaction involving, a convicted offender, the auditors should have closely scrutinized the evidence supporting the individual’s expenses. Nevertheless, the auditor failed to review the evidence obtained and therefore failed to consider whether the minutes had been fabricated.

Lastly, the issue of proper disclosure of transactions which is challenging part faced by the auditor during the audit work.

The author of Party Politics in Taiwan is Dafydd Fell, a Taiwan Studies Research Fellow at the Centre for Financial and Management Studies and Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Studies at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. ). Fell is one of a small cadre of political scientists whose work focuses on Taiwan’s domestic politics. He has actively promoted Taiwan studies in Europe, helping to found the European Association of Taiwan Studies as well as an MA program in Taiwan Studies at SOAS, which he coordinates.

The most intriguing aspect of Fell’s book on Taiwan’s party politics is the empirical data collected to support the thesis, it is different than other studies who just collect survey data which only shows populist trends. On the other hand, empirical data avoid populist culture and focuses mainly on data collected through historical texts and other scientific means which is of more substance and more useful when studying elite politics. But Fell’s approach is targeted at the connection between elite politics and the populist current. Fell through his book tries to answer certain questions as to explain how do parties adapt and evolve in Taiwan. Do they follow a convergent pattern of competition common in many western democracies, in which though the ideological distance is limited, parties still offer distinct policy platforms consistently? Has competition been divergent resulting in highly polarised parties, with all its dangers for political stability? Has Taiwan followed a common model of many new democracies of either a hegemonic one-party dominant system or a completely unconsolidated system of weak catchall parties and personality orientated issueless campaigns?

Dafydd Fell introduces us to his preliminary arguments and then later divides these into eight formal chapters with the 8th being the conclusion to all his arguments and findings. In chapters one to six Dafydd Fell has given a structured background and an overview of the ROC’s political party system and then in detail laid out the important issues which helped define the nature of political system and the actions taken up by major political entities and actors to control the island’s various political and governmental organs. The issue of Taiwan has always raised eyebrows in the international society, not more than the United States even when it was anauthoritarian state due to the circumstances of the world structure and the subsequent power struggle in the cold war. So when Taiwan eventually democratized it even more complexed the issue of its identity, as an independent state because it was now a democracy and needed to protected by the US due to its moral obligation towards democratic states, and as a part of the mainland due to its history. The democratization process was an important case study for scholars being the fact that Taiwan was the only Chinese Democracy as mentioned by Fell. He says that many new democracies to make the transition into liberal democracies as political parties are used as “vehicles for ambitious politicians to gain office” as was illustrated in the fluidity of party break-ups and mergers in Japan and South Korea in 1991.

Fell shows that Taiwan quickly institutionalized a type of partisan competition familiar in “mature” democracies quite early in its democratic transition. He also adds that the political parties are unique and well-differentiated in their ideologies to give the general public more options and different views to vote on. Though he later states that the closeness of policy realities between the major parties could make the political structure more candidate focused in the future. Fell also argues that political parties in Taiwan have evolved through a balanced mixture of inner part politics, electoral competition, public opinion, and party ideology. To say it concisely, the evolution is the result of the balanced interactions between ideologically oriented and election oriented factions. Fell in his book emphasizes three issues that made up the foundation for competition in Taiwan’s political space. These are social welfare, political corruption, and national identity. Then he takes into account the election results coupled with his own to analysis to present a case study of three major parties The Kuomintang, Democratic Progressive Party, and New Party. The three mentioned parties each held their ideological positions onthe three issues mentioned and were correctly identified and voted for by the voters based on their identities. The two major parties evolved their positions over a period of time namely the DPP and the KMT which led to their gradual convergence on the issues whereas the NP did not adjust its positions over time based on the election which means that it did not let election oriented faction to interact with ideological faction and was thus marginalized as it did not attract support from the voters, thus proving Fell’s argument.

Even though Fell argues that political parties are converging on issues, he clearly mentions differentiation between parties which could be sensed among the general public. He argues that “even though parties have become institutionalized into a state of moderate democratization i.e less distinguishable but still not depolarized enough to become indistinguishable catch-all parties.

To support his argument of parties being institutionalized into moderate democratization Fell mentions the issue of social welfare. In social welfare Fell deals with mostly healthcare and pension benefits, DPP raised the issue of social welfare and KMT almost immediately converged on the idea and as Fell mentions “KMT owns (issue of) national health insurance and the DPP owns (issue of) pensions. Corruption as an issue was raised by the DPP, KMT does not hold a different view of this issue but the DPP still succeeded because of the different image the KMT has in the view of the general mass with respect to corruption and corrupt practices. The third issue of national identity is not really an issue but a broad concept which gives way to party image and how it deals with political issues such as cross-strait relations. Quite clearly every single party has differentiated opinions on resolving the cross-strait dispute including but not limited to independence, unification, status quo or other solution but this only gives a different image towards a political issue and is more based on ideological faction rather than election oriented faction. Also, Fell has only emphasized only upon issues and has not really taken into account reputation, candidate qualifications and political mobilizations which also play a major role.

Fell’s Party Politics in Taiwan clearly shows, distinction, evolution, and awareness which is most important for a new, young and thriving democracy but the speed with which the parties are converging is a topic on which fell did not touch upon. The excess rate at which the political parties are all coming close has burdened the society with the presence of electoral college in all forms of organized sector and therefore suffers from an over-indulgent all-encompassing electoral mobilization.

Vigilantism means, in the most diffused popular acceptance, to take the law in one’s hands, a sort of do-it-yourself justice when resorting to all other established means fails. Etymologically, to be ‘vigil’ means to be in a constant state of alert, and therefore vigilantism would denote a phenomenon where groups organise in order to detect dangers. The history of political party vigilantism can be traced to the pre and post-independence era and has its roots in the country’s independence movement from British colonial rule. The Convention People’s Party and the National Liberation Movement were engaged in fierce political struggles over whether Ghana should be a federal or unitary state. The struggle involved violent vigilante activity by elements on both sides.

Political party vigilantism has dominated the airwaves of Ghana in recent times with most opinion leaders pointing accusing fingers at political parties and security agencies for their in ability to deal effectively with this threat. With 2020 general elections fast approaching, one cannot dispute the scare the rampant occurrence of political vigilantism in our country Ghana. It appears political vigilantism cannot be separated from the road to jubilee house, since their root of formation is the two major political parties in the country, that is the New Patriotic Party and the National democratic Congress . Several types of this phenomenon can be distinguished. Fundamentally, the types are related to the intended purpose of vigilante action, three such purposes appear to predominate: crime control, social group control and regime control . Vigilantes flout the rule of law, effectively becoming lawmaker, police officer, judge, jury, and appellate court for the cause they are pursuing. The public outcry against the illicit activities of these vigilant groups has not only mounted intense pressure on the government but most especially the national security apparatus as well.

This paper is to examine Political Party Vigilantism and its security implications. I take you through the origin and backgrounds of political party vigilantism and talk about the causes, impacts and my recommendations for solving this menace.

The aim of this document is to examine the activities of Political Party Vigilante groups, its security implications and causes with a view to making recommendations.

Lack of trust in governance. Trust in government has been identified as one of the most important foundations upon which the legitimacy and sustainability of political systems are built. Trust is essential for social cohesion and well-being as it affects governments’ ability to govern and enables them to act without having to resort to coercion. Whenever a political party comes into power, they tend to use the power for their own personal gain and as such whenever it is time to vacate office, it is very difficult for the party because they are scared same would be done to them and as such they resort to vigilante groups to protect their interest. Core levels of trust in government are necessary for the fair and effective functioning of government institutions – such as adherence to the rule of law, or the delivery of basic public services and the provision of infrastructure

Increase in the Rate of Unemployment and Poverty. According to Dr. Kwesi Aning Director in charge of Academics and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC) the non-existence of jobs for the youth leads them to find alternative means of benefitting from the public purse since they do not have any means of livelihood. These vigilante groups offer the youth and opportunity to make money instead of remaining unemployed and sitting at home. During unemployment, there is no income, which leads to poverty. The burden of debt will increase, leading to economic problems. Individuals who are unemployed and living in poverty commit many crimes.

Loss of Trust in the State Agencies. Political parties, especially the opposition parties have lost some level of trust in state agencies such as the Ghana Police service and the electoral commission. There is no trust in our police to guard and protect various ballot boxes across the country and neither is there faith in the electoral commission to hold a free and fair general. This comes about as a result of the government in power appointing its electoral commissioner as well as its members. The Inspector General of Police is chosen by the party in power which means the affairs of the police might be also controlled by the party in power. As a result, these political parties have trained their people who are willing to do anything for them. The countries democracy and pride as a peace loving country is gradually deteriorating.

Reaction to a security vacuum left by the state. Political party vigilantes have taken the role of party security apparatus. They are often trained as security agents for their party before, during and after elections. Some of them are trained to protect the leadership of their party especially when that party is in opposition for the lack of trust in the state security agencies. In April 2016, three South African ex-police officers contracted to train the security detail of the NPP flag bearer, and running mate were arrested deported by the government for their actions. Again, at an NPP rally in the Northern Region in October 2016, the Regional Chairman of the party, Mr. Bugri Naabu stated that the ballot boxes would be protected by ‘macho’ men to prevent the ruling NDC from rigging the elections on December 7 . Also, during the 2012 general elections NDC took about 60 members of a group known as the ‘Unbreakable Group’, a youth grouping made up of well-built men (macho men) to protect ballot boxes in several polling stations at Ho in the Volta Region which contributed to their victory in the elections . Again, on 7 December, 2016, whilst voting was going on some vigilante youth group in Nhyaeso with the help of the Political Vigilantism in Ghana’s Fourth Republic police arrested two men who attempted to snatch a ballot box at the polling station .

The Desire to win by any means. Political Parties will do whatever it take to win general elections in Ghana. One of the main reasons for these Vigilante groups is to serve as agents for the distribution and spread of party manifestos and ideologies to the electorates especially in remote parts of the country in what is known as “door-to-door campaign”. In all the seven general elections conducted in the fourth republic, these vigilante groups were present at many homes in remote parts of the country supporting their various political parties. On the NPP side, their foot soldiers were instrumental in all the electoral victories chalked by the party in 2000, 2004 and 2016 general elections. For instance, at a meeting of over a 1000 foot soldiers prior to the 2008 general election the National Coordinating Director of the Foot Soldiers Association (FOSWA) of the NPP stated that it was the “immense political strategy” of these foot soldiers, which won the NPP in power in 2000 and 2004. It was their vigorous campaign from house to house to get reluctant voters to vote which made voters come out in their numbers.

Violence and Human right Abuses. Political vigilantism has been characterised by physical and human right abuses over the decade. These illegal and violent acts have filled our political atmosphere with tension, rancor and acrimony. The presence of these foot soldiers at party conferences, polling centers produces a scary feeling among citizens of the country and we can all just wonder what will happen in the upcoming 2020 general elections. For example on 24 March, 2017, the Delta Force of the NPP stormed the premises of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and demanded the removal of the Regional Security Coordinator, George Adjei. In the process, they inflicted multiple injuries on the victim and but for the timely intervention of the police, serous casualties would have been recorded . Because of this some 13 thirteen members of the Delta Force were arrested for trial in court. However, other members of the vigilante group forcibly freed them during their trial at the Kumasi Circuit Court on 20th April 2017. Similarly, after the 2012 elections, there were reports of harassment, intimidations and violation of voting procedures in the Ashanti, Greater Accra and Northern Regions .

Fear and Panic. Fear and panic associated with political party vigilantism is largely about the destruction of individual as well as social and political structures of a society. In a society where political party vigilantism is common, a variety of processes, control and structures are developed. These can manifest in other diverse forms such as political opinions that preach violence or the exclusion of others, interpersonal aggression, demonization of those perceived as other, discrimination, intolerance of the views of others, undemocratic forms of social control, together with psychological and physical harm. Political party vigilantism often aims to undermine social relationships between individuals, as well as between individuals and society.

Threatens Our Democracy. Apart from the fear their activities put in us, they have also fueled polarization in Ghana’s body politics and has undermined the nations drive towards democratic maturity. Political vigilantism threatens stability in Ghana. Although Ghana has attained a step forward as a model of democracy, and has seen several peaceful transfers of political power from one government to another, the problem vigilante groups pose cannot be overlooked. Ghana’s democratic progress is being undermined by the vigilante related activities as they contradict the characteristics of democracy. Democracy is still considered the standard model of a modernised society and it’s used in describing civil and economic progress. Democracy does have its disadvantages but as compared to political vigilantism and dictatorship, Ghana is better off as a democratic state.

Financial Loss to the State. Another threat posed by political vigilantism to Ghana’s democracy is the vandalisation of state or public properties by vigilante groups. For instance, in May 2010, some NPP foot soldiers in WA in the Upper West Region vandalized properties belonging to the party to register their displeasure over the award of a contract to members of the NDC . Also in 2011, some vigilante groups claiming to be affiliated to NDC burnt down a party office to show their displeasure with a court ruling that saw the release of some persons accused of the murder of a prominent chief in the region. Again in May 2011. Some NDC vigilante group attacked the office of the mayor of Tamale and destroyed office equipment including furniture, stationery, exhibition stands and computers as protest against a decongestion exercise in the city.

Undermining Legitimacy of electoral results. These vigilante groups sometimes coerce and forced voters to vote for a candidate they do not believe in and this can undermine elections. With the presence of violence, voters for fear of the safety of themselves and their families may opt not to register for the elections and just stay away from anything that has to do with the elections. Some presidential candidates may withdraw from standing for the general elections due to threats they receive from these vigilante groups. Most often, observers are sent to observe a countries general election and as such when issues of violence occur, it undermines the legitimacy of a countries elections and elected Leaders. Elections with high degrees of conflict or continuous violence may slow the consolidation of democracy.

Indeed, Ghana is bigger than any political party in the country and much bigger than political vigilante groups but the dangers and threats these small groups pose to our country can cost us our peaceful country. It is very crucial for all and sundry, irrespective of one’s tribe, religion or political affiliation, to make effort to guard and protect the image of Ghana not only as an oasis of our continent but also as the only home that our forefathers toiled and shed their blood for.

The Electoral commission should be an independent body, devoid of political interferences. There should be a body responsible for their appointment other than the political parties. If this is done, the EC will be able to carry out a fair and transparent election so that the political parties will have no need to raise their own armies to police the election process.

The government should create decent job opportunities and an enabling environment for businesses to succeed, longer-term strategies must address the issues of unemployment. It will be difficult for one to leave his productive work for vigilante activities, which have high risks. The public as well as the two leading political parties have agreed to curb this menace. Recently, the president Nana Akuffo Addo promised not to ignore the rampant phenomena. He has called on a voluntary disbandment of the vigilante groups by the two major parties themselves.

Non-governmental organizations, religious bodies and chiefs should counsel our youths to understand the need to forgo political vigilantism for the development and the promotion of peace in our country. They must find the financiers of these vigilante groups and have a discourse with them. They must dialogue and reach an agreement to disband these vigilante groups, which will explode eventually to destroy lives and properties.

The Electoral Commission should fine anyone who willfully obstructs the commission or interferes with the commission in the discharge of its functions. Article 13 of Electorate Commission Act 451 of the 1992 Constitution. Clearly, the Electoral Commission has the mandate to whip on political party vigilante groups. Once the commission does not remain quiet on vigilante related activities and exercises its powers in sectioning perpetuators devoid of favouritism, the citizenry will rebuild their trust in them and rely on them for a free, fair and transparent election.

The police service should be decentralised to improve community-police relations and the current political appointment of police chiefs should be replaced by a competitive recruitment process. they exist to protect citizens and not to shield wrong doings. The police must also stop handling all cases of political vigilantism with soft hands. Those caught and found guilty should be punished severely to serve as deterrence to others who intend to follow their footsteps. Police commanders who fail to ensure arrest of people caught in this vigilante related violence must also be sanctioned and demoted.

Judge a nation by studying the status of its woman. This statement stands true in all times, as woman represent the standard culture of any age. Their social status speaks of the social spirit of the time. In our country India, woman for the longest time have been worshipped as ‘idols’ but in the real world, they are neglected, suppressed and exploited. Ideally, a woman is called the embodiment of ‘Shakti’, a symbol of ‘Purity’, ‘Religiousness’ but in practice, they are deprived and denied of equal rights in family, marital, social, educational, economic and political sphere.

The condition of woman has not always been the same. Looking back at Vedic period the position of woman was glorious on account of freedom and equality. They were educated and participated in every walk of life. They wore the sacred thread (Upavita-Dhaaranaa), underwent through Brahmacharya and carried study of the Vedas. Lady sages Gosha, Apala, Lopamudra, Indrani, Maitreyi and Gargi stand as a cross-reference to this.

The condition of woman deteriorated in the Mughal period, i.e., 11th century onwards. The main reasons responsible for this were the patriarchal joint family system, polygamy, Sati system, forced widowhood i.e. denial of the right to remarriage after widowhood, denial of the right to divorce, child marriage, prostitution, devadasi system the purdah system.

They were restrictions on her rights and freedom and her resultant hardships were aggravated. During this period the role of women conformed to the dictum laid down by Manu, that ‘a woman does not deserve freedom’ and that she should, throughout her life, be dependent on the man. She should be subservient in all stages of her life – ‘in childhood to the father, in youth to the husband and his elderly kins and to the sons when widowed.’. During this dark period, the position of women reached its peak of deterioration which continued till the 19th century.

There was an improvement in the position of girls, women, and widows during the British period. Female education was introduced and promoted which also brought in Child-Marriage Restraint Act in 1929 or the Sarda Act. The act restricted the evils of early marriages by not only prohibiting the solemnization of child-marriages but also raising the minimum age for marriage of girls to 14 and of boys 18 years. The Hindu Women’s Right of separate Residence and Maintenance Act of 1946 enabled Hindu wives to claim maintenance without having judicial separation under certain circumstances. Women acquired a new social status because of social legislation called the Civil Indian Marriage Act, 1872. Indian Association formed in 1917 by Mrs. Annie Besant also looked after women’s rights and education. The was an all-around improvement in the status of during the British period, in stark contrast to the Mughal period.

Seeing the progress made in giving woman deserved equality it may look like the present status of women in India is pleasing and satisfying but, it is only one side of the coin. The actual position is somewhat different. Woman are still victims of ancient forms of evils like child marriage and premature consummation resulting in early and dangerous pregnancies along with more evils like female infanticide, illegal abortion, female foeticide, dowry deaths, rape, eve teasing and various other forms of molestation of women.

With rapid urbanization and industrialization of the country, exploitation of women in recent years has been a serious menace to our society. Even after 72 years of Independence, the life of women in India is surrounded by violence, neglect, and exploitation. According to the 2011 Census, the sex ratio of India is 943 females per 1000 males. The female literacy rate is alarming low at 65.46%, which is 16.68% lesser than the male literacy rate of 82.14%. There are still 726,169 women who are houseless.

Apart from being denied the basic rights, women in India are still being exploited. According to the 2016 statistics published by Nation Crime Records Bureau, the rate of crime against women–crimes per 100,000 female population–was 55.2 in 2016, up from 41.7 in 2012. ‘Cruelty by husband or his relatives’ was the most reported crime against women, accounting for 33% of all crimes in 2016. Rape accounted for 11% of all crimes against women with 38,947 cases reported in 2016 which means four cases every hour.

What made it worse was that in 2016 the conviction rate in which trials were completed by the courts–for crimes against women was the lowest, i.e., 18.9%. According to the 2016 report, as many as 2.5 million crimes against women have been reported in India over the last decade. Reported cases of crime against women increased 83% from 185,312 in 2007 to 338,954 in 2016.

It is soul-wrenching to witness this vicious times where women have to worry about their safety everywhere, be it inside or outside of their homes. Recently London based Thomson Reuters Foundation published a report in June 2018 stating India to be the world’s most dangerous country for women due to the high risk of sexual violence and being forced into slave labour based on a poll of global experts.

The time has come for the nation to be held in hands and shaken up so that it can see the condition of women of its country and to make this possible a woman would have to stand up for a woman. Our National Women Party germinated on the same idea of a woman for woman. We looked up to the inspiring idols like Chand Bibi, Rani Laxmibai, Kittur Rani Channamma, and Rani Abbakkar and started the groundwork of our National Women Party in 2016.

The main motive behind the formation of National Women Party is to get 50% reservation for women candidates in Lok Sabha Election. We will attempt to eradicate the present challenges and work towards women empowerment with full force. NWP currently has the support from 1.45 Lakh women members of Telangana Mahila Samiti and the numbers are persistently increasing across India.

Our party welcomes and supports every woman and man who wish to support our cause and this party irrespective any cast creed or religion.

I believe that my birthday is a special day ever it makes me feel like my family and friends do care about me. But for once I thought that they did not care about me.

What is today? I said to myself while looking at my phone. It’s March 12th! Tomorrow is my birthday! I can’t believe that I forgot my own birthday! I think it’s because for the past three days, I have been busy packing my stuff to get ready to go to America next week. I will be 11 years old tomorrow, and I think this year is the last year that I will have my birthday party here in Thailand. I always have a birthday party, but I think I’m not going to have one this year, it’s because my birthday is tomorrow that we don’t have time to get everything ready for the party.

I went to the dining room to go eat; when I got there everyone is eating like they didn’t know what tomorrow was! I got mad and sad a little. I started to think to myself “do they remember my birthday?” I went outside to play with my friends still, but no one said anything. I was going to tell my friends but we were playing and having too much fun. I got home and realized that I forgot to tell them, but today everyone was acting so weird to me. I believe that they did not forget my birthday. What if they did forget it?

Today is March 13th, when I woke up I saw a very pretty dress, it was pink, and had a big bow on the back. The bow was white and the dress went down to my knees. I looked around and I saw a note on my table, it was from my mom. The note said to get the dress and after I got dressed I had a very good feeling at that moment. After I opened the door I saw all my friends and my family standing there with a cake, everyone said happy birthday to me it just made me so happy. I thought they had forgotten my birthday. But no they didn’t. They are the best family and friends I have ever had. My mom said to me “We are never going to forget your birthday, happy birthday sweetheart”.

I look at the picture that me my family and my friends took on my birthday it made me remember the best party ever, it was because my friends and my family were there on my special day. I’ll never forget that day. That day was the most awesome time of my life. I shouldn’t have ever thought that they didn’t care about me and that they forget about me. I believe that my family and my friends will always be there for me and they will never forget my special day.

The Civil Rights Movement began in the 1940s and ended in the late 1960s. This movement began in hopes to lessen the widespread systematic inequality towards African Americans. While this movement included famous individuals such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, and Emmett Till; it wouldn’t have had the results it got without the help from thousands upon thousands of people of all colors and self-organized organizations who were fighting for equality.

Protests were often held to promote the movement and its beliefs. Nonviolent protests such as sit-ins, boycotts, freedom rides, marches, public speeches, and protests happened. However, not all efforts were entirely peaceful. There were several instances where there was much violence and bloodshed such as Bloody Sunday being one of the more well-known incidents.

“The Civil War had officially abolished slavery, but it didn’t end discrimination against blacks” (A&E Television Networks) Organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were particularly violent and discriminatory towards colored people.

The Black Panther Party was founded in October of 1966 by two college students, Huey Newton, and Bobby Seale. “At its peak, the party had over 2,000 members.” (A&E Television Networks.) Their party called for an immediate end to police brutality, employment of African Americans, and a call for land, housing, and justice.

When the Civil War ended in 1865, it began a period of time that historians now call the Reconstruction. The Reconstruction period included rebuilding the south but also introduced new issues. As blacks gained the right to vote in some states under the administration of President Andrew Johnson, black codes were being created to control the African American population just as they had before.

While the government was creating these black codes to control the blacks, organizations such as the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) reversed the progress that the government made during the Reconstruction period and began violent behavior towards African Americans, and restored white supremacy in the south. Similarly to other organizations of the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Panthers had goals that they wanted to achieve and philosophical views that they lived and worked by. For starters, they had a 10-point program that laid out their political agenda.

Similarly to other organizations of the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Panthers had goals that they wanted to achieve and philosophical views that they lived and worked by. For starters, they had a 10-point program that laid out their political agenda.

In the second scene, Romeo and Benvolio meet a servant who is supposed to make invitations to the Capulet ball. He asks Romeo to read him the list. Romeo discovers that Rosaline will be at the Capulets’ party. They decide to attend – even though it is a Capulet party, they will be able to disguise their identities by wearing masks. Later at the party, Romeo mopes in the corner, away from the dancing. From this point, he notices Juliet and falls in love with her immediately.

Romeo approaches Juliet and touches her hand. They speak together and Romeo eventually earns Juliet’s permission for a kiss.

Romeo calls Juliet a ‘holy shrine,”, his sinful lips two devoted ‘pilgrims’ ready to repent with a kiss. However, before they can talk further, the Nurse calls Juliet to see her mother. After Juliet leaves, Romeo asks the Nurse her name and is shocked to learn that his new desire is a Capulet. In this scene, Paris a wealthy young man, or Romeo would wear a doublet ( close-fitting padded jacket). Juliet and Lady Capulet would have worn taffeta ( crisp, smooth, plain fabric), silk, gold, or satin gowns, and everybody would have had hats and gloves. This is because it was set in a European country at about the same time Shakespeare wrote it, the audience who might have watched the play would have been happy, and they would have been authentic for the play during that time. Shakespeare uses this scene to show the mask as a metaphorical and symbolic place for Romeo and Juliet to meet. The Capulets ball is a formal game in which the guests try to figure out who’s who and by doing this leads to Romeo and Juliet falling in love.

However, Baz Luhrman uses a different cinematography to attract the viewers to the party’s backdrop and atmosphere. The opening scene begins with an extreme close-up and a low-level shot of Mercutio’s car – this immediately establishes his character and personality. This also shows Mercutio’s queer aesthetic—defined by disco music, glittery clothing, and theatricality—to shape the scene of the entire Capulet masquerade ball, as well as draw out a theme of love and drugs. Luhrman also utilizes an extreme close-up of the drug/pill with a red love heart on it, this expresses the significance of love within Romeo and Juliet and also the theme and idea of how love is like a drug: addicting. Furthermore, when Romeo enters the party, the camera movements become very slow and unsteady, the camera shot constantly moves back and forth between the close-up of Romeo’s face and the media shot of the party. The close-up of Romeo’s face shows him blinking his eye repeatedly, this indicates he is high on drugs “These drugs are quick “, reaffirming that he has no control and is in his own world. The ballroom is a key location as it is the setting in which ‘Romeo and Juliet fall in love. The film set was designed to provide a contrast to the purity of the two young lovers. The difference between the two is Baz Luhrmann uses symbolism to present Shakespeare’s ideas in a way that makes sense to a modern audience. the most effective is the costumes at the masquerade party. Juliet is dressed as an angel, representing her purity and divinity, as described by Romeo, who is dressed as a knight- this is to represent him being Juliet’s savior, Lord, and Lady Capulet are dressed as Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, is to represent that not only are they both rich and powerful individuals, but they are a couple too. Luhrman adds more excitement and detail to the Elizabethan play by adding fast and thrill-seeking camera movements.

I remember the time my sister, Shifali Malhotra, and I built a fort in our closet over the summer. We were young and making fun memories. Summer spent together was always a blast. We would share multiple laughs and were, at the time, basically the same person.

The days flew by and our time together grew shorter. Shifali’s moments of attending high school were coming to an end. Her days of going off to college were fast approaching. My sister would be leaving me to study two hours away at the University of Iowa. Although she would not be too far it definitely felt as if she would be thousands of miles away.

I hear the ding of the doorbell as my parents rush towards the door. They open the door to greet our family members. We welcome them in and get them situated. It was mid-summer and everyone that had entered was from my mother’s side of the family. They were here to congratulate Shifali at her graduation party. The party was coming up in a short amount of days. All of Shifali’s friends and family would be attending.

My cousin and I prepared a speech to present on the day of the graduation party. We wrote a rough draft, fixed and analyzed it, and read it in front of my mom to get final approval. She was moved by the speech and loved it. My cousin and I began to get excited about the day.

The party appeared in a hurry. Everything was a blur as the events were fast-moving and going by rapidly. My family and I arrived first to set up for the party. All the girls were dressed in gowns and guys in suits, almost like prom, but in reality, it was just a fancy graduation party. We stood in the rented-out hotel room for what seemed like forever. Until we noticed a crowd of familiar faces that began to fill the room. The room contained people who supported my sister throughout her whole life. By 7 o’clock the party began to kick off. Music was playing and food was being provided. The guests were all chatting and laughing as they seemed to be having a magnificent time.

Suddenly, the room became quiet, and the moment came when the speeches were to be presented to the crowd. A few friends go before, but it soon came time for me and my cousin to make our way up to the podium. We were slightly nervous and had our note cards in hand. The room was silent and I started to clear my throat.

“I can’t believe you are finally going off to college… it seems like just yesterday we were learning how to ride bikes…” I said. I continued on with the speech until my cousin chimed in. After we finished, we received applause from the audience. I then had a sudden realization as I walked off the stage. I am going to miss my sister. Although growing up with a sibling is not always fun, you know they are people you can always count on. I also noticed that time was passing by in the blink of an eye. I wanted to make sure I spent a proper amount of time with my family before I head off to college. Family is important and they will always hold a dear place in my heart.

Though time has passed and my sister and I don’t make forts in the closet, we’ll always have the memories to look back on. All the summers we hung out together are recollections I will cherish. The future is still occurring and I know my family and I will share plenty of more laughs and good times.