American Economy essays

American Economy essays The American economy has been in a recession since March, which is troublesome. The recession was declared by the National Bureau of Economic Research, and there is pessimism as well as optimism regarding this national issue. The gloomy idea is that a recovery will not occur soon. The positive view is that revitalization in the economy will transpire promptly, yet this observation is disproven by a Federal Reserve study shows that in twelve Reserve districts the slowdowns outweigh recovery. A definite answer to predict the outcome does not exist, but there are factors of GDP, which can be observed to calculate what may happen in the American economy. These range from government spending, private investment expenditures, consumer expenditures, and net exports. Consumer spending is dropping rapidly over twenty percent yearly. During a economic boom in the 1990s, consumer expenditures reached over 1.4 trillion dollars, and is presently declining more rapidly in the National Association of Purchasing Managers price index. Technology sector purchases have deteriorated at forty percent, and low-technology acquisitions have dropped with equal misfortune. Factorial productivity has decreased for the longest phase since the 1930s. As a result, business profits have sunk up to 52 percent in the second quarter, and this is the largest drop in over two decades. Since businesses are suffering, workers are experiencing fewer benefits from Consumers work fewer hours, collect diminutive bonuses, and endure lower salaries as a result of corporate, financial weakness. The menacing fear of losing jobs prevents consumers is the largest factor which dictates end users financial activities. As companies continue to shutdown facilities and reduce the number of employees, the less the consumer is willing to spend. Unemployment rates are increasing, and will peak seven percent in the near future. Another factor ...

Free Essays on E-Bay

Competitive Analysis of eBay eBay eBay is the world’s online market place. Founded in 1995, eBay is the leading online market place for the sale of goods and services by a diverse community of individuals and businesses. Today, the eBay community includes 49.7 million registered users, and is the most popular shopping site on the Internet when measured by total user minutes according to Media Metrix. The eBay Market eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis. It features a variety of international sites, specialty sites, categories, and services that aim to provide users with the necessary tools for efficient online trading in the auction-style and fixed price formats. In 2000, the eBay community transacted more than $5 billion in annualized gross merchandise sales (value of goods traded on the eBay site). On any given day, there are millions of items listed on eBay across thousands of categories. People come to eBay to buy and sell all kinds of practical, unique, and interesting items. Rivalry In 2001, there were over 2500 auction sites on the Internet. Some of these sites include: Amazon.com Auctions, Yahoo! Auctions, MSN Auctions, AOL Auctions, Excite Auctions, and UBid. Each of these sites has their pros and cons. eBay’s closest competition exists with UBid, Amazon, and Yahoo!. Neither company, however, has a customer base as large as eBay’s. Using the Internet to attract buyers and sellers from all over the world has allowed eBay to remain competitive. eBay is still 100 times larger as Amazon and 10 times as large as Yahoo! Both of the sites have grown large enough to make the list of the ten largest auction sites on the Internet, but in the meantime eBay’s size has more than doubled (with a continued growth rate of 12% per month). The two big newcomers (Yahoo! and Amazon) have a lot of similarities to eBay: similar categories of goods, similar fixed-length English auc... Free Essays on E-Bay Free Essays on E-Bay Competitive Analysis of eBay eBay eBay is the world’s online market place. Founded in 1995, eBay is the leading online market place for the sale of goods and services by a diverse community of individuals and businesses. Today, the eBay community includes 49.7 million registered users, and is the most popular shopping site on the Internet when measured by total user minutes according to Media Metrix. The eBay Market eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis. It features a variety of international sites, specialty sites, categories, and services that aim to provide users with the necessary tools for efficient online trading in the auction-style and fixed price formats. In 2000, the eBay community transacted more than $5 billion in annualized gross merchandise sales (value of goods traded on the eBay site). On any given day, there are millions of items listed on eBay across thousands of categories. People come to eBay to buy and sell all kinds of practical, unique, and interesting items. Rivalry In 2001, there were over 2500 auction sites on the Internet. Some of these sites include: Amazon.com Auctions, Yahoo! Auctions, MSN Auctions, AOL Auctions, Excite Auctions, and UBid. Each of these sites has their pros and cons. eBay’s closest competition exists with UBid, Amazon, and Yahoo!. Neither company, however, has a customer base as large as eBay’s. Using the Internet to attract buyers and sellers from all over the world has allowed eBay to remain competitive. eBay is still 100 times larger as Amazon and 10 times as large as Yahoo! Both of the sites have grown large enough to make the list of the ten largest auction sites on the Internet, but in the meantime eBay’s size has more than doubled (with a continued growth rate of 12% per month). The two big newcomers (Yahoo! and Amazon) have a lot of similarities to eBay: similar categories of goods, similar fixed-length English auc...

Compare the Industrial Age with the Era of Modernism Essay

Compare the Industrial Age with the Era of Modernism - Essay Example During that era, revolution begun by the mechanization of the textile industry and the iron-making techniques that were developed that increased the use of refined coal (Shamkhal 2011). The revolution was also characterized by the introduction of steam power that was primarily fuelled by coal. There was also the introduction of canals, improved railways and roads that also played a part in expanding trade. During this period, however, things were done in a more primitive and backward way, when compared to the modern era. The modern era is also characterized by a number of revolutions and innovations that are majorly seen in the way people do things that are more mechanized and computerized than the industrial era (Nagla 2010). The modern era brought about the invention of faster-operating computers that have propelled so many other innovative activities come up that completely bring the whole world a global village. During the modern era, people use machines operated by nuclear and electricity power. Trade has been made easy by the roads that have been tarmacked, electric trains and aircrafts that enable goods to be ferried from one country to another within hours. Therefore, the two era were marked by revolutions; however, the modern revolution is characterized with more innovation, faster ways of doing things as well as advanced technology. On the other hand, the industrial revolution was also characterized with lots of inventions and improvement of technology even though the technology used then was backward and could not do much. A lot of changes have been realized since the revolution era. To begin with, in the communications sector, during the industrial revolution, people used to pass information through the use of the word of mouth. Then the use of sending letters came up which could take several days, weeks or even months before being

Employing Strategy in a Competitive Environment Research Paper

Employing Strategy in a Competitive Environment - Research Paper Example These factors include income, education, geographic location, and age. Technological changes, which are arising might or might not support the activities of our business as well. This will be the supreme important trend, which could affect the ability of the company to stay competitive within the market. As the company provides the customers with quality information materials, which will permit them to sell to the end user clients more ably at a lesser charge, the company has to be aware of the datum that fresh technologies are emerging every day (Stigler 2008). The company must ensure that the products are continually updated to meet the clients’ needs. The company has to be aware of these emerging changes, as they occur to continue to anticipating the customers’ needs, and tackle them afore they essentially request it. This is how the company can capitalize on these changes in technology, by ensuring the clients have available information resources at all time to meet their end user consumer needs. The company can achieve this by constantly researching fresh and innovative technologies, as they emerge hence staying ahead of clients' requirements. New entrants to the market can also present a threat to the company. If the company is successful in attaining market share as well as being lucrative, this could draw new comers who may pull clients from the company. The company can combat this through being the low cost spearhead. Moreover, the company must keep on providing quality products, which the company’s clients trust. Establishing such reliability will be a basis in guaranteeing the company’s stand within the market (Wisma, 2012). To address the sustainable mobility’s challenges, while getting on a fresh stage of dynamic development and consolidating its presence within the international marketplace, the company can rely on its fundamental strengths. These strengths include knowhow of the inner operation of the informatio n industry; capacity to afford quality products, virtual firm can be easily be accessed online to generate a competitive benefit within the marketplace. The company can achieve this through effective communication with core clients. Increased sales do not necessarily mean increased returns; therefore, the company needs to evaluate the efficacy of the firm’s communications (Karakaya, 2005). This strategy will provide the company the understanding of the inner operation of the information sector to be cognizant of the clients’ needs. Furthermore, all staff must have some experience about book to fortify the company’s most crucial asset. Through keeping a close watch on changes in technology, the company will be capable of offering relevant products that the end users can benefit from them. Working online will make the company mobile and effortlessly accessed by either the company’s clients or their clienteles. This eases on the travel costs that would other wise be incurred if need for assistance or service arises (Wisma, 2012). Considering that the market share is minimal, I find that the company’s core competitor is the established publishers. The challenge is how the company can obtain and retain customers. The company has to create information materials, which clients can differentiate from those of the competitors’ products owing to their good quality. The company must employ proficient writers and

The Time Essay Example for Free

The Time Essay What is the most horrible of institutions that ever entered human lives? Anyone, by the perceived notion of institutions might start listing education, family, marriage, state, religion etc. But, if we think once, all these institutions have something in common. They are all time framed, time – bound, and submit us to conformity, which is again fitting itself into the framework of larger time that is life time. So, I would say, it is time that is the major institution that changed the face of our lives. Not only ours, but of course of the whole human society, be it in any part of the world. If you are someone like Plato, you would say, there is no such thing like time that is making life hard for us. Instead, it is the idea of time that is responsible for all the commotion. Well, I do agree with such people and say, â€Å"The Clock is the culprit†, and enquire how this dire consequence happened to us. Unfortunately, to track how this at all happened, we should still rely on time, gazing back at the past, so that our arguments would make some sense. By this, we could say that, time is eternal to our lives. It neither has a beginning nor ending. The entire creation moves on according to a time pattern. Time is one of those many necessary evils that happened to us. Tracing back to history, we don’t have any evidence to suggest when the word ‘time’ derived or established semantically, but the word ‘clock’ is derived from the Latin word ‘clocca’ which means ‘bell’ or French word ‘cloche’, which again means the same. We were introduced to clocks only in the 14th century. It is in this period that people were familiarized with devices like sun dial, clepsydra or water clocks etc. Mechanical, tower and quartz clocks, with gears, wheels and weights attached to them were invented somewhere around the medieval period (5th – 15th century) in Europe. Be it towards human development or mechanization, this invention is of course a giant leap in the history of mankind. But, these clocks had the facility of ticking only once in an hour, that is there were no minutes and seconds hands at that time. As a solution to this problem and avoid the accuracy and precision constraint of his experiments, Galileo, a physicist, observed the chandeliers in the church and tried to devise a similar device, but he failed to do so. Later, with the aid of Galileo’s works and further research to his credit, Huygens, a Dutch astronomer, devised the first successful pendulum clock. But, theseclocks too had a problem. They used to tick several times a second, making life even more miserable. Later, William Clement, an English clock maker devised pendulum clocks whose least measure was a second. These clocks were well appreciated and came to be known as â€Å"the grandfather’s clocks† in the history. The aftermath of this was known to be the period of scientific development where the pendulums were replaced by atomic vibrations. The clocks which we use today with seconds, minutes and hours hands are called the atomic clocks and were invented by Dr. L. Essen. Until 1840’s, the clocks we used consisted of external batteries. Meanwhile, people undertook research to avoid this problem of batteries losing life as they were exposed to harsh weather conditions which show their impact on this life – boosting device, battery. It was much later in 1906 that we started using internal batteries. The first portable time piece (such as time turner, wrist watch etc. ) ever was devised by a German, Peter Hele, the pioneer of human plethora and obviously the first one who deserves death penalty because without him, we would have left time at home and walked freely into the outer world, and would have lived peacefully. Coming to philosophy, renowned philosophers argue that time is a mental construct but nobody ever says how to get rid of it. Moreover, they propose alternative theories on time. Though these don’t solve the problem, they give us a ground to work on it, as it is believed that sticking with a problem for a longer time (time again! ) will give us possible scope to analyze it and would hopefully lead us to the solution. They provide us a pretty good set of facts such as time is one – dimensional, unidirectional, irreversible and hence precious, it is not cyclic but linear (as Stephen Hawking said), etc. There are also competing theories in philosophy which tries to present different perspectives, viewpoints regarding time. The Presentists argue that only the present is the only real thing. The Growing – block theorists argue that both present and past are real, but not future, that is I’m eating an ice cream and dinosaurs had once existed are real, but not certainly my death. Who knows? I might be that one mortal being on earth who doesn’t meet death. The Block – universe theorists or the Eternalists argue that the past, present and future are subjective and are mere mental constructs, just like time. But, as it is denying the tenet of time, and as it is deemed to be tense less, eternalism was considered illogical. We even have this distinctversion called there are different types of time namely, Public time (the time which runs on clocks), Biological time (the circadian rhythms which are regulated by sunlight and darkness), and the Psychological or the Phenomenological time (this is nothing different from public time and moreover, it is only how we use the public time). This psychological time is once again known to be a mental construct, subjective, and immeasurable. For example, psychological time passes when we are happy and drags when we are sad. The psychological time cannot be measured with any devise whereas the public time is a basic time that can be measured by the clock, which is devised for the very purpose. Psychological time helps us to understand human thought processes whereas the public time does not understand or analyze anything. It is merely a platform for the consequences that the psychological time should think of. Talking about the flow of time, there are two opposing theories namely the Myth – Flow theory and the Theory of Objective Reality. The former strengthens the rampant argument that the notion of time is a myth and it is our mental construct whereas the latter contradictorily tells us that time is mind – independent reality, which it clarifies by saying that though we die, time is eternal and it always exists in this universe, thus justifying its objective reality. It is certainly due to this concept of time flow that cognitive psychologists were also interested in the time. They were interested in knowing our experience of time flow and our ability to place events as per chronology. Neuroscientists, at a point of time, were also interested in time and suggested that your brain waits about 80 milliseconds for all the relevant input to come in before you experience a â€Å"now†. Neuroscientists and psychologists have investigated whether they can speed up our minds relative to physical time. If so, we might become mentally more productive, and get more high quality decision making done per fixed amount of physical time, and learn more per minute. Several avenues have been explored: using cocaine, amphetamines and other drugs, undergoing extreme experiences such as jumping backwards off a tall tower with bungee cords attached to one’s ankles, and trying different forms of meditation. So far, none of these avenues have led to success productivity-wise. Time is no doubt the central theme of modern life. Every single day, from dawn to dusk, we plan our day, or at least think of our day as per a time schedule. We get up inthe morning and enter into the inevitable business of time keeping and this burden becomes even more when we attach meaning to a whole jargon of words like once upon a time, past, present, future, yesterday, today, tomorrow, day after tomorrow, the next hour, within ten minutes, one second etc. I think it is because of fear of this time and the time constraint that we are taking our life so seriously, the whole world became so competitive in the pursuit of virtue and racing towards an unknown fortune, whose existence is still a matter of potential questionnaire. Human beings are so subjective that we cannot conduct a Meta – subjective analysis of their subjectivity. But, millions and billions of members of the human race are curbed off their creativity and were forced to fit into an artificial pitcher called the time – box, where, since centuries, people were supposed to do what they were expected to and that to within a fixed time – frame, and a lot of value is attached to time. At least once in life, let us take up this unique or peculiar experiment of putting this time outside human lives. Can we live at least a day without looking at our watch, mobile, or desktop without knowing what the time is? Can we lead our life succumbing just to gut feeling and nothing else? Time is said to be a free – force which does not wait for anyone. Then, why the hell do we bother about time, when it does not wait for us? Can’t we be little egoistic concentrating on self – emphasis rather than time – emphasis? This might sound a kind of utopian and something that never happens in this 21st century. If at all we still feel like attempting this, we must follow Rousseau, who just went off into the woods to lead his life calm and quiet, away from the hue and cry of the main – frame of society which is suffering from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) of time ticking lives. Despite the cons it has, time has pros too. As Ovid says, â€Å"Time is the best medicine. † It is known to heal the wounds which reason cannot. Time is a wise counselor which gives us a healing touch. It reminds us to act and of course act wisely. It is the sole controller of our emotion and experience. To conclude, time is all in the mind and so it is up to us, our mindset and attitude as of how to get on with it, and we must thank the Temporal Logic (time based logic that is responsible for the functioning of any language) for which we attribute our whole understanding of this issue, and of course the rather creepy World.

Law in Action Essay -- State Rights, Oregon

Along with the American right to live with certain inalienable freedoms, citizens of Oregon have had the opportunity to exercise their state-given â€Å"right to die† for the previous 17 years. In response to citizen initiative, the State of Oregon passed the Death With Dignity Act (DWDA) in 1994 to allow terminally ill patients the access to a lethal dose of doctor-prescribed medication. Oregon is one of only two U.S. states with â€Å"Death With Dignity† legislation, and it has vigorously protected this act from criticism and attempted legal invalidation for years (Office of Disease Prevention and Epidemiology, n.d.). Despite vehement opposition and regular ethical questioning, DWDA has successfully allowed hundreds of gravely ill Oregon citizens to safely control the circumstances of their death. With improvements to its system of collecting patient data, its mental health evaluation requirements, and its level of doctor accountability, the law could provide this ser vice in an even more efficient and responsible way. From its official enactment in 1997, DWDA has aimed to provide qualified, terminally ill Oregon patients the opportunity to end their lives through the use of a doctor-prescribed, self-administered, lethal prescription (The Oregon Death With Dignity Act, 1994). A patient wishing to receive the prescription must be 18 years of age, a resident of Oregon, mentally competent, and diagnosed with a fatal disease that will likely lead to death within six months, and the patient must pass through a multitude of safeguards. First, a patient must make two oral requests for the medication to his or her physician 15 days apart, followed by a signed written request. Then two separate doctors evaluate the individual’s cognitive capabilit... ... peace of mind for the family, and for the legal security of the doctor, patients should undergo supervision until the time of their death, not merely until the time they receive the prescription. This final addition to DWDA would greatly increase approval within the medical community for this exceedingly debated law. Through two legal attempts to invalidate the law and years of criticism from a wide range of adversaries, DWDA has managed to provide a valuable service to over 500 ailing Oregon patients. Legislators could avoid future legal challenges and improve the safety for participating individuals by enacting and enforcing a few powerful safeguards regarding doctor accountability and patients’ mental health. Regardless, DWDA sets an unparalleled precedent in the realm of assisted suicide, and other states should strive for similar revolutionary legislation. Law in Action Essay -- State Rights, Oregon Along with the American right to live with certain inalienable freedoms, citizens of Oregon have had the opportunity to exercise their state-given â€Å"right to die† for the previous 17 years. In response to citizen initiative, the State of Oregon passed the Death With Dignity Act (DWDA) in 1994 to allow terminally ill patients the access to a lethal dose of doctor-prescribed medication. Oregon is one of only two U.S. states with â€Å"Death With Dignity† legislation, and it has vigorously protected this act from criticism and attempted legal invalidation for years (Office of Disease Prevention and Epidemiology, n.d.). Despite vehement opposition and regular ethical questioning, DWDA has successfully allowed hundreds of gravely ill Oregon citizens to safely control the circumstances of their death. With improvements to its system of collecting patient data, its mental health evaluation requirements, and its level of doctor accountability, the law could provide this ser vice in an even more efficient and responsible way. From its official enactment in 1997, DWDA has aimed to provide qualified, terminally ill Oregon patients the opportunity to end their lives through the use of a doctor-prescribed, self-administered, lethal prescription (The Oregon Death With Dignity Act, 1994). A patient wishing to receive the prescription must be 18 years of age, a resident of Oregon, mentally competent, and diagnosed with a fatal disease that will likely lead to death within six months, and the patient must pass through a multitude of safeguards. First, a patient must make two oral requests for the medication to his or her physician 15 days apart, followed by a signed written request. Then two separate doctors evaluate the individual’s cognitive capabilit... ... peace of mind for the family, and for the legal security of the doctor, patients should undergo supervision until the time of their death, not merely until the time they receive the prescription. This final addition to DWDA would greatly increase approval within the medical community for this exceedingly debated law. Through two legal attempts to invalidate the law and years of criticism from a wide range of adversaries, DWDA has managed to provide a valuable service to over 500 ailing Oregon patients. Legislators could avoid future legal challenges and improve the safety for participating individuals by enacting and enforcing a few powerful safeguards regarding doctor accountability and patients’ mental health. Regardless, DWDA sets an unparalleled precedent in the realm of assisted suicide, and other states should strive for similar revolutionary legislation.

Islam in Bed with Europe in “My Son the Fanatic” Essay

My Son the Fanatic is a film that addresses the cultural conflict of both Islamic integration in into Europe and English culture, as well as the relationship that arises between a father and his Muslim son when the child grows up to become an Islamic fundamentalist. (Udayan Prasad, 1997, England; screenplay by Hanif Kureishi) A Pakistani cab driver in a Northern English town has an affair with a prostitute and chauffeurs her and her colleagues to make extra money. When his son becomes an Islamic fundamentalist and joins in an effort to clean up vice in the town, the family’s loyalties and beliefs are tested. This film completely tests the conflict that exists with Islam encountering the European world through migrations and cultural development. Kureishi reveals the core conflict of the reality of English sexual revolution of the 60’s encountering Islamic sexual regression of the present era. In the New York Time’s article â€Å"My Beautiful London†, author Rachel Donadio, notes, â€Å"One of the most revealing insights into Britain’s recent social history comes early in â€Å"My Son the Fanatic,† Hanif Kureishi’s tender and darkly prescient 1997 film. It’s morning in an unnamed city in northern England, and Parvez, a secular Pakistani immigrant taxi driver brilliantly portrayed by Om Puri, watches Farid, his increasingly devout college-age son, sell his electric guitar. † The essence of this cultural conflict between Islamic and Western English culture can be seen in both in how the filmmaker and the central character, the taxi driver Parvez and his son Farid, are raised. They are both brought up by mullahs and nuns alike which reveals the complex nature of multicultural issues a Muslim immigrant might encounter living in Europe. The potential for plot development is endless as the director notes â€Å"You can’t ask people to give up their religion; that would be absurd,† he wrote in The Guardian. But hard-line views might modify â€Å"as they come into contact with other ideas. † That was the essence of â€Å"effective multiculturalism†: not a superficial exchange of festivals and foods driven by liberal guilt, but something else entirely — an encounter with human desires in all their complexity. Higson poses the question in his article â€Å"The Limiting Imagination of National Cinema,† â€Å"When is a cinema ‘national’? , asks Susan Hayward (1993: 1). As if in answer, Crofts delineates several different types of ‘national’ cinema that have emerged in different historical circumstances (1993, 1998). They have performed quite distinct functions in relation to the state (Higson, p63). Hanif Kureishi’s work â€Å"My Son the Fanatic† fits this description exactly. The Film is historical and has an effect on multicultralism through its relevance and relation to England and the happenings of the ‘state. ’ In also being historical, â€Å"My son the Fanatic is also a product of National Cinema†, as â€Å"Proclamations of national cinema are thus in part one form of internal cultural colonialism: it is, of course, the function of institutions—and in this case national cinemas—to pull together diverse and contradictory discourses, to articulate a contradictory unity, to play a part in the hegemonic process of achieving consensus, and containing difference and contradiction Higson p. 139). Islamic law is formally composed of literal translations of Arab tribal customs and ancient Muslim traditions as well as the Koran, and quotes from the Islamic prophet Muhammad as well as his predecessors. â€Å"When you get down to it, there are two types of people in Kureishi’s work: those running toward sex and those running away from it (p. 6)† In the film Parvez’s son Farid notes that he is seeking â€Å"Belief, purity, belonging to the past,† and then he notes â€Å"I won’t bring up my children in this country. † This represents the classh between what is now his fundamentalist beliefs through devotion to Islam and the clash European cultures poses on those beliefs. Farid sees no way both ways of life can exist together. Likewise, Parvez represents the embodiment of a westernized Muslim, so much so that he can’t identitfy with son. In the film this conversation boils up into a conflict in which Parvez begins to beat his son repeatedly, until his son shouts to him â€Å"who’s the fanatic now? † A major motif of the film that Kureishi mentions in his interview, is the concept of old Sharia law and the ancient traditions of the past being re-imposed on a post-sexual revolution present. Kurishi points this intergenerational drama out as ironic when he says, It perplexed me that young people, brought up in secular Britain, would turn to a form of belief that denied them the pleasures of the society in which they lived,(Donp. 7 he goes on to pinpoint that exact issue that faces the relationship for shared for young people concerning Islam and western culture to date when he says, â€Å"the West, the Nietzschean project, has been to drive out religion and to produce a secular society in which men and women make their own values because morality is gone. Then suddenly radical religion returns from the Third World. How can you not laugh at that? How can you not find that a deep historical irony? † This irony Kureishi speaks of is the main theme of the film. In Richard Dyer’s essay The White Man’s Muscle, he talks about stereotypes that have been enforced connecting as far back as the Greek era, and that now dominate film and television basically promoting the superiority of white masculinity. Body hair is animalistic; hair ¬lessness connotes striving above nature. The climax of Gli amori di Ercole has Hercules fighting a giant ape, who has previously behaved in a King Kong-ish way towards Hercules’s beloved Dejanira, stroking her hair and when she screams making as if to rape her; close-ups contrast Hercules’s smooth, hairless muscles with the hairy limbs of this racist archetype. (Dyer) Here Dyer points out how the uppermost essence of masculinity is equated with shaven white muscle, through its very contrast to that of hair apes, who are historically associated with blackness. He acknowledges the racist aspects of this archetype, but also gives notice to the private boys’ club-like tradition that has formed from this prejudice. This mentality demonstrates the epitome of the world in which A state agency for assessing public religious schools had given a top rating to a Muslim school that was advocating a return to the Caliphate; the interior minister at the time, Jack Straw, came under fire for suggesting that it might be difficult for a community-relations functionary to meet with constituents who wear a full veil; an Indian woman living in England was lured back to India and murdered in an honor killing; the archbishop of Canterbury said he thought England might consider making some accommodation for Shariah, or Islamic law. What, I wondered, did Kureishi make of all this? (,p. 7) â€Å"There aren’t any answers to these questions,† he replied. â€Å"They’re just questions that everybody has to engage in and think about. What is it like to make a multicultural society? How far do you go in multiculturalism? Do you have parts of the country under Shariah law, for instance? What would that mean? How does that work? You have to take this stuff seriously. † (p. 7) In sum, â€Å"My Son the Fanatic† is potent with cultural complexity and relevance. The film speaks volumes about current issues facing the Western world today as well as those being posed by, and imposed upon the Middle East. One can’t see this film and overlook the tension brewing between the two cultures of the Muslim world and the Christian European environment in which it finds itself. The film does an excellent job of providing authentic interpretation for a conflict that is undyingly relevant and prevailingly influential in today’s socioeconomic and political climate. Work Cited Bordwell & Thompson â€Å"Film History† 2004 Donadio, Rachel â€Å"My Beautiful London† New York Times August 8, 2008 Dyer, Richard â€Å"The White Man’s Muscles† in White London Higson, & Fowler, Catherine. â€Å"The European Cinema Reader† London New York Ptacek, J. , & Dodge, K. Coping Strategies and Relationship Satisfaction in Couples. The Society for Personality and Social Psychology, 21(1), (1995). 76-84. Savran, David. (1998). â€Å"Taking It Like a Man: White Masculinity, Masochism, and Contemporary American Culture. † 380 pp.

Homework Essay

Chapter 18 p534 1.What is the key assumption of the basic Keynesian model? Explain why this assumption is needed if one is to accept the view that aggregate spending is a driving force behind short-term economic fluctuations. The Keynesian model shows how fluctuations in planned aggregate expenditure can cause actual output to differ from potential output. This method is necessary because if it were not used companies would have to change prices every time there was a possible change in demand or quantity shift in inventory. With this method short term economic flux can happen when the a company does shift their price to meet demand. 3. Define planned aggregate expenditure and list its components. Why does planned spending change when output changes relatively infrequently. What accounts for the difference? This is a total planned spending on goods and services including; consumption, investment, government purchases and net ports. If spending change happens infrequently then added goods go into inventory causing company to spend capital on invested inventory. Consumption function accounts for the difference between changes in expenditure. Chapter 19 1. Why does the real interest rate affect planned aggregate expenditure? Give examples. Because the raising or lowering affects the cost of borrowing, which affects consumption and planned investment (which all is a part of aggregate expenditure). If the Fed raises rates the housing market will slow down buying. If the Fed lowers rates more people are likely to buy homes and refinance. 2. The Fed faces a recessionary gap. How would you expect it to respond? Explain step by step how its policy change is likely to affect the economy. The Fed’s position is to eliminate output gaps and maintain low inflation. To eliminate a recessionary output gap, the Fed will raise the real interest rate.

Triage essays

Triage essays Mark was looking for himself, still trying to find his way back from the dead. How does Mark learn to love with the pain of the past? Before his breakdown war is merely a career opportunity for Mark. He moves from one trouble spot to another to make a living, not because he has any commitment to a cause. Marks mental breakdown is caused by a result of witnessing too many wars, his physical and mental injuries from Kurdistan, Talzanis triage process, his amnesia of Colins fate and too many needless deaths. His eventual acceptance that scars only partially heal forms the narrative of the novel. Mark is forced to embark upon a journey to self knowledge and spiritual awareness. Mark a sensitive young man, his father recalls that he was different from other children: ...you were the most sensitive. Very inquisitive, too (p. 131). While other children had no awareness of the outside world, Mark reacted sensitively to news items. But after nine years of exposure to war violence, he has certain arrogance about how unaffected he is. Joaquin plays a major role in Marks voyage forgiving and forgetting the pain of the past. By listening carefully to Marks accounts of his war experiences, Joaquin is able to restore Marks memory of Colins death. But this is not the end of Marks trauma. It is only at this point that the journey towards self-knowledge can begin and there are times in Spain when we doubt if Mark can ever accept the guilt that he feels for allowing Colin to die. Joaquin presents the confronting view that for a reason, or lack of; war is inevitable. It is through Joaquins experience of war trauma that Scott Anderson ties together the events of modern wars that Mark is involved in and allows Mark to discover he is not alone. But unlike everyone else Joaquin does not offer Mark that promise, he believes Mark belongs to an age where ...

Colour composition and Polarised Light

Colour composition and Polarised Light Introduction Colour and light are two inseparable factors and especially for those in the field of photography. The ability to achieve a perfect composition of colour and strike a balance between colour and light always poses a challenge to many people. How well these two aspects balance largely determine the outcome of the process. This discussion looks at these two very important aspects and how once can achieve balance between them to get that perfect shot.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Colour composition and Polarised Light specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Colour While every aspect of photography is important, colour and light are the most fundamental (Verity 23). Colour plays a significant role in determining the content of any picture in terms of emotions. Just by looking at the colour composition of a photograph, it is possible to easily depict the mood that the photographer intends to create. Every colour has a meaning and depending on how much it has been emphasized, an onlooker can easily derive a message from it. Bright colours like orange and red for instance are a depiction of happiness and excitement. Dull colours on the other hand create a refreshing, relaxing and cool mood. Colour yellow does not create excitement like red does neither is it a colour of relaxation like blue and green are. Instead, yellow brings about a feeling of warmth Other than creation of moods, colours are also used to create certain desired effects. Depending on the angle of the camera together with the proper framing, it is easy for a photographer to draw great attention to a subject that though is brightly coloured. For example and Indian woman wearing beautifully coloured sari can have the right colours in the sari captured in such a way that the draw attention. One can also use contrasts of colours to create dynamic patterns and designs. Colour contrasts are always catchy to the eye so that it tends to explore the various colours contrasted. Light also influences colour composition by and large. For instance on sunny day you may want to concentrate on bright colours like red and orange. However, for a dull cloudy day a combination of saturated colours will work best. The amount of exposure that you give when taking a photograph also influences the colour composition and consequently the final product (Popular Mechanics 23). Therefore if you would like to have some colours subdues, then you may allow more light to pass. On the other hand, when intending to emphasize particular colours less light should be allowed so that such colours can stand out. Light Light is said to be an electromagnetic wave that moves through vibration that could be as long as 360 degrees. By definition, light is a radiation that is electromagnetic in nature, which the human eye is able to perceive. Light travels in the form of a wave. The different speeds at which these waves of light travel are perceived as different colours by the human eye. Polarization of light refers to the direction taken the wave of light when it is vibrating.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Usually, when the wave of light is undisturbed, it tends to move and vibrate randomly. The wave of light experience constant changes as it moves buy depending on the medium through which it is passing, it may be polarized in a number of ways. One way in which light is polarized is limiting the direction of vibration so that the wave is only able to vibrate in only on direction. The outcome of such polarization is that the light gets in through a medium is not the same as the one that comes out on the end side of the medium. Filters are responsible for polarization of light and they do son in varying ways. Some filters polarize by filtering particular colours so that they are no longer visib le in the wave of light. Two filters placed together with one bring on top of the other have the effect of being opaque or transparent to light. If these filters were to be turned round, then the light passing through the filters can be sort of turned off and on. There are those filters that are made in such a way that they do not allow transmission of light. They are known as crossed polarizers. These filters are such that when one allows light form a horizontal angel, the other allows from a vertical angle and thus preventing transmission. Relationship between Light and Colour Having discussed colour composition and polarization as two independent concepts let us now shift focus on the relationship that cist between colour and light. It has been said that light has a nature that is considered triple. This is a common argument especially by photographers (Konnen 87). By this they mean that light has three very essential aspects that are the quality, the direction and the colour. Ho w well one is able to master the three aspects will determine by and large the final images produced and whether ort not one will be able to achieve certain desired effects like the dilution of some colours for purposes of creating certain moods (Hirsh 78). According to the research and discovery of Isaac Newton, ordinary light as perceived by the human eye has seven rainbow colours namely, red, yellow, green, blue, indigo, orange and violet. Light is therefore a combination of different colours. What appears as pure white light as perceived by the eyes of a human being is light that has these colours well balanced. However, it is not always easy to have light with these balanced colours as the constantly get altered as they travel in form of waves. The colour of light has a great impact on the mood that an image taken has. It is of great importance therefore for any photographer to understand the concept of lighting and colour composition to use them to his advantage and create the desired effect.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Colour composition and Polarised Light specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another very important aspect that must be looked at is what is known as saturation of colours. Simply put, this is the concentration of a given colour. This is also used to mean how intense a given colour is. This means that colours that tend to be very vivid or highly conspicuous are considered saturated. Colours that are somewhat dull on the other hand are considered unsaturated. Lighting affects saturation of colours so that polarized light may reduce saturation so that pretty much of the colour is diluted and the vice versa is true. Being aware of the existence of this concept, it then becomes important to for photographers to know how to control saturation and use it to their advantage in order to achieve the desired effects and moods. The time of the day by and large affects satura tion of colours. This is because the sun being the source of light is at different intensities at different times of the day. When the sun is rising in the morning, the colours at that time tend to be saturated. This is also the case in the late afternoon. Colours however tend to be less saturated at midday. Therefore, if you were taking the photograph of a landscape, the best time to take the photo would be very early or late afternoon when the sun is about to set to achieve highly saturated colours. One may also use a filter to alter the saturation of colours. Polarizers are used to increase the intensity or saturation of colours. When light is polarised it has the effect of diluting colours. Thus use of polarisers will help reduce the amount of polarized light coming ion the surface of the image being photographed thus increasing the saturation. Conclusion It is indeed of great importance that photographers grasp the concept of polarisation of light and colour composition really well. This is because it is the only way to achieve the best images possible. When one is not clear about either of these two aspects, then they may fail to achieve the desired results in their photographs. Any poor picture that is produced by a photographer is as a result of failure to balance these two aspects and this makes it all so vital. It is only through experience that one is bale top master these aspects properly. Photography is an art that is perfected over time through constant practice. Hirsh, Robert. Exploring Colour Photography: From Films to Pixels. London: Focal Press, 2010. Print.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Konnen, Gary. Polarised Light in Nature. New York: CUP Archive, 1985. Print. Popular Mechanics. â€Å"Hearst Magazines.† Volume 76, No 3. New York. Sep 1941. Verity, Enid. Colour Observed. Michigan: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980. Print.

Toyota Marketing in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Toyota Marketing in China - Essay Example Sales of marketable vehicle in the country are forecasted to grow at a CAGR of around 5.5% during 2008-2010. Based on the past performance, it is projected that passenger car sales will cross 11 Million Units in 2010. China is the world's second largest car market. It overtook Japan just last year and is challenging to become the world's largest automobile market. The industrial revolution in China has prompted development and growth in the middle-class of China and the automobiles have translated into a symbol of prestige. Toyota was a latecomer to the China market. Within its global strategies, North America is the top priority, followed by its home country Japan. China has been included in Toyota's top development strategy in recent years with its first China-made VIOS sedan produced in Tianjin in October 2002. Considering China as an immature auto market, the company had adopted a three-stage development plan -- first to establish a local sales network and launch brand promotions, then to build auto parts manufacturing bases, and, finally, to establish joint ventures (JVs) with local players and produce automobiles. Although a latecomer, Toyota has jumped to the front in terms of imported car volume -- 50,000 units annually (Jiang, 2004). The company stepped into the most important and critical stage -- speeding up the localization of its products, since its rivals, such as Honda and General Motors, started accelerating their saturation into China. After the market entry of the Prado and Land Cruis er with China's First Automobile Works, its manufactured goods with Guangzhou Automobile Manufacturing Co -- Camry, which was a great success in the Untied States, was also developed. Forbes magazine comments on Toyota's success in the US auto market, saying that once the company sets goals, it will manage to exceed the targets. What is more demanding to its rivals is Toyota's approach to realize these goals. That estimation may well apply to its China development. Although Toyota missed the first opportunities, it will likely catch up if it pays more attention to the China market and introduces high-end brands. Toyota may scale back its ambitious target of selling more vehicles in the United States this year than it did in 2007, as damage from an economic slowdown and high oil prices becomes more fully known. Toyota sold more than 4.8 million vehicles worldwide in the first half of this year, up 2% from the same period a year earlier, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday. That exceeded General Motors Corp.'s sales of 4.5 million vehicles in the same period, setting up Toyota to potentially end GM's 76-year run as the world's top automaker by sales (CNN Money, 2007) Toyota, the third-biggest foreign car brand in China, reported investing 3.6 billion Yuan ($526.8 million) to double the production capacity of one of its plants. This should boost Toyota's overall capacity in China to 830,000 units by the first half of 2010. Global requirement for light hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) is estimated to reach 4.5 million units in 2013. Increasing energy costs and greater than before emissions regulations are likely to increase demand for HEVs. The US is expected to experience the highest level of demand for HEVs, estimated at two million units in

CAN COMPASSION BE TAUGHT An exploration of the concept of teaching Literature review

CAN COMPASSION BE TAUGHT An exploration of the concept of teaching compassion to nursing staff within the field of dementia - Literature review Example In this regard, a framework was developed using the guide for critiquing quantitative research suggested by Coughlan, Cronin and Ryan (2007) and the guide for critiquing qualitative research suggested by Ryan, Coughlan and Cronin (2007). Ten journal articles were selected using an exclusion and inclusion criteria based on relevance, appropriateness and the most recent research on the subject under investigation. A Fishbone analysis was conducted to determine the challenges for implementing and using compassion in the delivery of care to patients with dementia for determining the extent to which compassion can be taught as revealed in the literature. Results: The results of the study indicate that nursing staff delivering care to dementia patients and dealing with families and carers are at an increased risk of compassion fatigue. The results indicate that compassion can be taught directly and indirectly provided the welfare and wellbeing of nurses are safeguarded and promoted. Discus sion: Implications for practice and directions for further research are discussed. The limitations and strengths of the research are also discussed. Conclusion: It is concluded that in order to successfully teach and maintain compassion in the context of nursing staff in the field of dementia, three approaches have to be taken. ... dementia are at an increased risk of suffering compassion fatigue, efforts must be made to safeguard the welfare and well-being of nursing staff to ensure that they are retained and nurses do not become over-burdened with an imbalance in demand and supply. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Chapter One: Introduction and Background 4 1.1.Introduction 4 1.2.Background 5 1.3.Aim of the Study 7 1.3.1.Objectives of the Study 7 1.3. Research Methods 8 Chapter Two: A Critical Review of Literature 11 2.1. Compassion: Definition and Concepts 12 2.2. The Role of Compassion in the Care of Dementia Patients 15 2.3. Teaching Compassion to Nursing Staff in the Field of Dementia 20 Chapter Three: Findings and Conclusion 28 3.1. Findings and Conclusion 29 3.2. Implications for Practice 34 3.3. Suggestions for Further Research 36 3.4. Limitations of the Study 36 3.5. Strengths of the Study 37 Bibliography 37 Chapter One: Introduction and Background 1.1. Introduction Compassion is described as a significant quality in nursing that has an impact on the care delivered to patients (Kret, 2011). With respect to patients suffering from dementia, care science theorises that core competence and skills among nursing staff includes patience, consideration and compassion (Rundqvist & Severinsson, 1999). However, studies have shown that caregivers administering care to patients suffering from dementia are at a heightened risk of suffering from ‘compassion fatigue† (Day & Anderson, 2011, p. 2). Compassion fatigue is associated with a lack of nursing staff juxtaposed against increasing patient demands and the physical and mental burdens nursing staff confront in meeting increased patient care demands (Bush, 2009). Effective nursing care for patients with dementia is accomplished by the ability to look