Personal statement for admission Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

For admission - Personal Statement Example Thus, while benefiting from the first hand experiences and active performances, I still lacked academic learning in the field of music. This pushed me to opt for a master’s degree in Music and Performance at the Indiana University. I have now completed my masters and I feel that I am on a good stand with regard to academic learning as well as performance. But I still believe that further learning and practice would enhance and polish my skills. It would make my academic ground stronger and it is for this purpose that I wish to enroll in the doctoral program at the University of Michigan. The University of Michigan is one of the most prestigious universities in the United States and it will provide me with the best opportunities to strengthen my career. I would then be able to go back to Korea as a musician having both strong practical skills as well as possessing good academic skills. This would assist me in performing well and at the same time in becoming a good instructor and thus impart my knowledge to the students in

Research report Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 4

Report - Research Paper Example These attempts of ennrching customer insights are highly different across different stores throughout the world (Marks & Spencer plc, 2015). Contextually, the current research demands for a study of customer insights into an organisation, where M&S has been proposed. The reason behind selecting M&S as the organisation for the study is the sector which it belongs to, i.e. retailing. The research of the retail sector would provide superior outcomes to the study, as a wide variety of customers arrive at retail outlets. The retail sector also has a higher number of consumers as compared to any other industry throughout the world. Moreover, it is notable that the consumers spend a significant proportion of time in retail outlets as compared to other outlets. Thus, it is important from the perspective of a researcher to select retail outlets for understanding consumer insights to a large extent (Marks and Spencer plc, 2015). The prime aim of the proposed research is to understand consumer insights in M&S. In this regard, for attaining the aim of the research, it is essential to draw some of the research objectives for the study. The research objectives are listed underneath. For the effective completion of the study, it is important to set some of the research questions. In this regard, it is highly important that the research questions are relevant to the objectives and aim of the study. These research questions are listed underneath. The proposed study involves a unique and decisive research plan, which would significantly support the overall development of the study and the effective completion of the same. In this regard, the correlation between the different variables would be executed (Baker, 2004). In this regard, the variables are selected based on the research questions of the study, which are listed above. Moreover, it is notable that the correlation process would be

Peoples Democratic Republic Of Algeria English Language Essay

Peoples Democratic Republic Of Algeria English Language Essay Over three years period of learning English as a foreign language, English LMD students still find the written demands extremely challenging. Moreover, third year LMD students in the English Department at Saad Dahlab University of Blida encounter many difficulties in writing their mini-projects. Therefore, this study is needed to reveal these difficulties and their effect on further learning. Furthermore, it is an important study mainly because of the fact that academic writing is required for anybody who is studying English and has to write essays and other assignments for exams or coursework. 2. Statement of the Problem: This study will investigate the effect of having academic writing difficulties on ACHIEVING THE FINAL PROJECT of third year LMD students in the English Department at Saad Dahlab University of Blida. 3.The research question: What are the effects of academic writing difficulties on the final projects progress of third year LMD students in English Department at Saad Dahlab University of Blida? 4.The research Sub-questions: What are the academic writing difficulties that hinder the final projects progress of third year LMD students in English department at University of Blida? 5.Hypothesis: Third year LMD students in English department at University of Blida may have difficulties in cohesion. 6.Objectives of the Study: To identify the difficulties that faces the third year LMD students in English department at University of Blida when writing academically. To reveal the significance of academic writing difficulties to third year LMD students further studies in English department at University of Blida. To show how academic writing difficulties affect third year LMD students learning progress in English department at University of Blida 6. Structure of the research proposal: This research proposal covers the main points that will be examined in the final thesis entitled Effects of Academic Writing Difficulties on Achieving the Final Project of Third Year LMD Students in English Department at Saad Dahlab University of Blida. The first part is a general introduction that includes the background and significance of the study, statement of the problem, research questions and the objectives of the study. The second part is a review of the literature which consists of two chapters. The first chapter is a review of literature on the EFL academic writing difficulties. It consists of a definition of academic writing, the rhetorical, strategy and vocabulary challenges of EFL writing. The second chapter deals with the effect of writing weaknesses on EFL learning development. It includes the influence of rhetorical, strategy and vocabulary difficulties on the scores achievement. The third part describes the methodology design of this research. It includes data to be collected, data collection procedures, the population, procedures and data analysis procedures. The last part is a conclusion of the previous chapters and it includes a summary of the main points. CHAPTER 1: Review of the literature on EFL academic writing difficulties Introduction: Academic writing in English at advanced levels is a challenge even for most native English speakers. However it is particularly difficult for English as foreign language learners. Recent studies have researched the difficulties of academic writing. This part sheds light on previous studies and reviews relevant literature on the EFL academic writing difficulties. First, the researchers intend to provide a definition of the academic writing, and then they give some basics of academic writing. Finally, this chapter discusses the challenges that face EFL learners when writing academically. 1.1. Definition of academic writing: Academic writing is a mental and cognitive activity, since it is a product of the mind. The image of an individual working alone in a quiet environment has furthered the view of writing as a mental and cognitive activity. However as has been pointed out, writing can be understood only from the perspective of a society rather than a single individual(Burke, 2010,p.40-41). 1.2. Basics of academic writing: Academic writing is expected to address an intellectual community in which the students engage in active learning. Some basics or rules must be established. Using information to ones advantage is a key part of learning. Success at the postgraduate level depends on the students ability to access, evaluate, and synthesize the words, ideas, and opinions of others in order to develop their own academic voice. When presenting what they have learned, it is therefore vitally important that students are able to show clearly what they have drawn from others and what is their own (Bristol Business School, 2006, p. 3). A student must be honest about how much ownership he/she can claim over the ideas formed, the answers found, and the opinions expressed (Bristol Business School, 2006, p. 3). The student must follow certain rules to ensure good academic writing, including punctuation guidelines. 1.2.1 Punctuation The essential punctuation marks are the period, comma, semicolon, and colon. These include the following: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The period primarily marks the end of a sentence. A period is also used after an abbreviation where the final letter of the word is not the final word of the abbreviation, e.g., in enc. for enclosure, although Mr. for Mister is an exception (Murphy, 2010, p. 9). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The comma is primarily used to separate parts of a sentence so that the meaning remains clearer for the reader. (I) A comma separates words in a list, e.g., He brought coal, kindling, matches, and turf. (II) A comma separates subordinate clauses within a complex sentence where two separate sentences are not required (Murphy, 2010, p. 9). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The semicolon has two common uses. First, it may be used to separate items in a list after a colon. Second, it may be used to indicate a certain relationship between two parts of a sentence (Murphy, 2010, p. 9). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The colon may be used to indicate the start of a list, as is similar to the above example for the semicolon. It may also be used before a quotation begins (Murphy, 2010, p. 9). 1.3. Challenges of EFL academic writing: Writing is considered as a complex activity, a social act which reflects the writers communicative skills which is difficult to develop and learn, especially in an EFL context. Research in this field has examined the nature and types of writing task and by providing better understanding of EFL students writing needs, there has been an effort to help the development of this major skill theoretically and pedagogically (Zhu, 2004; Carson, 2001; Hale et al, 1996).   Examining the features of EFL writing tasks and the students problems in performing the task would certainly be pedagogically beneficial. As stated by Atkinson (2003, p.95), EFL students writing in a language classroom context shows their ability to solve a rhetoric problem and their awareness of their own communicative goals, of the reader, and of the writing context. In spite of numerous approaches to the teaching of writing, tackling EFL writing is still one of the challenging areas for teachers and students. Many EFL te achers think that grammar and vocabulary are the main problem area and that their writing would improve with remedial grammar/voc lessons. As Widdowson (1995, p.74) points out, we need to consider the larger discourse context or the meaning that lies beyond grammatical structure. To go beyond grammar, language should be looked at as a form of social practice (Fairclough, 1992, p.122). As Casanava (2002  ,p.19) points out, learning how to write for academic purposes poses a clueless challenge because the rules of the game are almost all implicit. This is especially true for Algerian university students when they write an academic research paper in English for the first time: they are faced with a number of unfamiliar, daunting tasks. Of all these, the most formidable and crucial challenge appears to be learning how to organize and develop their ideas in an academically persuasive manner; that is to organize their assertions into logical and cohesive arguments that will convince the reader. Their papers often end up lacking clear logical flow and unity, not to mention a persuasive linear argument. Conclusion Most EFL students find writing difficult and some students report that their difficulties continue, even years after their confidence in other academic skills such as speaking, listening, and reading has grown (Zhang, 2010,p.71). Explanations for students struggle go beyond grammar and vocabulary though these are clearly significant. Most writing specialists agree that writing difficulties are down to the specialised nature of academic discourse (Schmitt, 2005, p.65) and to the complexity of the craft of writing itself. CHAPTER 2: The research methodology design Introduction: In this chapter, the researchers describe the research methods, informants and data collecting tools. The results collected from the research tools will be analyzed scientifically in order to answer the research questions. Research method: Since the current study aims at showing the effects of academic writing difficulties on students final project achievement, the researchers opted to use a descriptive study on third year LMD students in English Department at University of Saad Dahleb- Blida. A descriptive method facilitates the gathering of information and data to assist in achieving study goals. As a first step, the researchers tend to administer a questionnaire to third year LMD students in English Department at University of Saad Dahleb- Blida mainly to confirm whether they face difficulties when writing academically (see appendix 01). Then, supervisors will be interviewed about the challenges they meet when orienting students with academic writing difficulties (see appendix 02). During the study, which will take three months, the researchers will observe the students progress in achieving their final project using an observation check list (see appendix 03). Population: The informants of this study are students and teachers from the English Department at the University of Saad Dahleb- Blida. The researchers select 10 groups of third year LMD students; each group consists of 3 members working on their final project in didactics field, and 5 didactic MA Degree teachers who supervise the 10 groups. The informants are 19 female students and 11 male students. The age of the informants ranges from 20 to 26 (see table 1). The original names of the students are replaced with fictitious names to keep the identity of the informants confidential. Table 01: Description of the groups Groups Gender Age Previous tuition of English 1st group 2 females/ 1 male 20 23 8 years 2nd group 3 females 20 8 years 3rd group 3 females 20 22 8 years 4th group 3 females 24 26 8 to 10 years 5th group 2 males / 1 female 20 23 10 years 6th group 3 females 20 10 years 7th group 3 females 20 10 years 8th group 2 females/ 1 male 21 10 years 9th group 3 males 20 22 10 years 10th group 3 males 21 25 10 to 13 years Data collection tools: The researchers intend to use three research tools to collect the data needed in order to answer the research questions of this study: 3.1- A questionnaire with closed-ended questions is distributed to the 10 groups of the 3rd year LMD students. It consists of 13 closed ended questions which aim at detecting the category of the difficulties whether in cohesion, coherence, vocabulary or strategy. 3.2- Semi-structured interviews are conducted to collect data from the perspective of the 5 supervisors. Interviewing the supervisors on the basis of their feedback to the groups will help to specify the types of difficulties, to confirm the data collected from the questionnaire and to know the challenges of supervising students with academic writing difficulties. 3.3- Observation check lists are distributed each month to the 10 groups in order to examine the effects of the academic writing difficulties on the progress of accomplishing their final projects. The list contains the supervisors negative feedback besides the data collected from the interviews and the questionnaire. Each group is provided with a check list to examine how much each difficulty is considerable to hinder the progress of the final project. 4. Data analysis Procedures: After the data are collected, the researchers intend to analyze them according to teachers and students answers: 4.1. A questionnaire with closed-ended questions: The data collected from the questionnaire will be analyzed quantitatively. The researchers will describe and comment on the answers objectively. Then, the data will be interpreted scientifically. Through this process the difficulties of academic writing will be revealed. 4.2. Semi-structured interviews: The data collected from the semi-structured interviews will be analyzed qualitatively. The reasons for choosing qualitative methods for collecting data are: the need to attain highly personalized data, there are opportunities for probing, a good return rate. (Gray, 2004, p.96). These semi-structured interviews will specify the kind of the difficulties. 4.3. Check list observation: The data collected from the observation check list will be presented in graphs. Graphs will give a clear vision on the effect academic writing difficulties on the third year LMD final project achievement. Conclusion and Suggestions for Further Research: In view of the data presented, the researchers conclude that third year LMD students in English department at Saad Dahlab university face many difficulties and stresses in their academic writing. These difficulties severly hinder the progress of the students final project. The following recommendations are made for future studies: The present study could be replicated on a wider scale that includes diverse populations and various levels of education to examine more thoroughly the difficulties of academic writing. Further field-based research should be conducted to address other important skills, such as reading, listening, and speaking. -Since the subjects of this study were male and female students, future studies could be conducted with only male or only female students to determine the effect of gender on academic writing difficulties. General conclusion The research proposal is a crucial step in any scientific research. It clearly describes the study process. This research paper describes the study which is intended to be applied on the topic Effects of Academic Writing Difficulties on Achieving the Final Project of Third Year LMD Students in English Department at University of Blida.This research proposal considers the most important points in the study. The first chapter is the literature review which contains different ideas about the data that will help answering the research questions. This chapter deals with the EFL academic writing difficulties. It gives a definition of the academic writing, tackles its basics and defines its challenges. The second chapter in the research proposal is the research methodology design. It describes the followed methods in the study process which are the research method, the population, the data collection tools and the data analysis procedures. Bibliography Burke, S. (2010). The construction of writer identity in the academic writing of Korean ESL students: a qualitative study of six Korean students in the U.S. Doctoral dissertation. Walter. L. (1977). College Composition and Communication. Major Problems in Doing Academic Writing. Vol 28/1. pp 26-29. Hyland, K. (2003). Second language Writing. Cambridge, Cambridge Press Al Khuweileh, A, Shoumali. I. (2007). Writing Errors: A study of the Writing Ability of Arab Learners of Academic English and Arabic at University [Abstract]. Language and Culture and Curriculum, 13 (2), 174-183. Silva, T. (1992). L1 vs. L2 writing: ESL graduate students perceptions. TESL Canada Journal, 10 (1), 27-48. BBC English Teachers Supplement. (1995). The challenges of teaching academic writing. [Online] Available: http://www.uefap.com/articles/furneaux.pdf Fulwiler, T. (2002). A personal approach to academic writing. College writing: Third Edition. Boynton/Cook Publishers, Inc. Heinemann. Murphy, Anne. (2010). Academic writing and publishing matters for the scholar- researcher. D.I.T Dublin Institute of technology 9- Woodrow, L. (2006). Academic Success of International Postgraduate Education Students and the Role of English Proficiency. University of Sydney Papers in TESOL, 1, 51-70 10- Brookes, A; Grundy, P. (1998). Beginning to Write. Cambridge, Cambridge Press. 11- Fitze, M; Glasgow, R. (2009). Input Enhancement and Tense Formation in Arab EFL Writing by Cross Cultural Exchanges. English for Specific Purposes, 17(4), 391-412. 12- Taranopolsky, O. (2005). Creative EFL writing as a means of intensifying English writing skill acquisition: A Ukrainian experience. TESL Canada Journal, 23(1), 76-78. 13- Weigle, C. (2002). Assessing Writing. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 14- Bacha, N.N., Bahous, R. (2008). Contrasting views of business students writing needs in an EFL environment. English for Specific Purposes 27, 74-93. 15- Badger, R; White. G. (2000). A process-genre approach to teaching writing. ELT Journal, 54(2): 153-160. Appendices Appendix: 01 Questionnaire with closed-ended questions This questionnaire is part of MA dissertation. It is administered to third year LMD students in English department at university of Blida. Please, answer the following questions according to your writing experience. Thank you for your collaboration. Do you face any difficulties when writing your mini-project? Yes No Is the grammatical features one of the problems you face in your English writing? Yes No 3. Do you spend time reviewing what you write? Yes No 4. Does most of your reviewing focus on the sentence and paragraph level? Yes No 5. Do you always focus your reviewing on the grammar points of your writing? Yes No 6. Do you know which type of plague words and phrases you should avoid? Yes No 7. Do you often make sentence mistakes in your writing? Yes No 8. Do you often make subject-verb disagreement mistakes in your writing? Yes No 9. Do you experience difficulty combining sentences in your writing? Yes No 10. Is it difficult to create an understandable and coherent paragraph? Yes No 11. Do you include each of the three steps (planning, writing, and revision) in your writing process? Yes No 12. Do you write an outline before writing draft? Yes No 13. Do you think that writing skills are important factors for successful writing? Yes No Appendix: 02 Semi-structured interviews The semi-structured interviews below are part of MA dissertation entitled Academic Writing Difficulties and their Effect on the Learning Progress of Third Year LMD Students in English Department at Saad Dahlab University of Blida. 5 supervisors of 10 groups of third year LMD students will be asked face to face the following questions: Do you think that third year LMD students in English Department at Saad Dahleb University of Blida have difficulties in writing academically when working on their final projects? According to your experience, what are the difficulties that faced by third year LMD students in English Department at Saad Dahleb University of Blida when working on their final projects? Do these difficulties affect the students progress of their final projects? According to the groups you are supervising, do the academic writing difficulties differ from one group to another? To what extent do you think that academic writing is important for third year LMD student to accomplish their final projects? What are the challenges you face when supervising students with academic writing difficulties?

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four :: 1984 Essays

George Orwell is the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, a British writer with political conscience. He was born in India but educated in England at Eton College. He served the Indian Imperial Police in Burma from 1922 to 1927. In sick health, he returned to Europe to live in poverty as a struggling writer. Orwell joined the Republican forces in the Spanish civil war, and wrote a chilling account of this experience. He went on to write many books, mostly autobiographical, and achieved successes as a brilliant writer. 2. SynopsisThe novel takes place in a theoretical and fictional dystopian totalitarian society. The story begins in London on April 4, 1984 after an atomic world war divides the world into three states. London is the capital of Oceania which is run by INGSOC(English Socialism). The controllers are called "The Party." The Party is divided into two sections, The Inner Party, and The Outer Party which are the "Rich" and the "middle-class." There is a third group of people called "The Proles," or "The Proletariat" which are the poor, and considered to be animals by the party. The main leader of this government is Big Brother. The novel is told in third person and partly first person, and is also divided into three parts. In the first part the main character and his conflicts with the world he lives in are revealed. Winston Smith is a bureaucrat who works for the government by altering history at the Ministry of Truth. He begins to ponder the reason things are so bad and commits a terrible crime. In the second part, he falls in love with Julia, and is taken in by a man named O'Brien, a member of the anti-party society called the Brotherhood. O'Brien turns out to be a true member of The Inner Party. Winston and Julia are captured and hauled off to the Ministry of Love (Minilove in Newspeak). Here, during the final part of the story, Winston is incarcerated and rehabilitated by The Party. O'Brien constantly tel ls Winston that Winston is crazy, and that he is trying to help him. During these sessions he reveals the true purposes of INGSOC. The party's goals can be summed up in their mottoes. "WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH(Orwell, 7)."3. ThemeUnder the rule of INGSOC, members of The Party are engrossed in their work. It is essential that the government keeps its people happy in order to avoid rebellions and "thought crimes.

Lumber-Room Essay

lumber-room The story under analysis was written by Hector Munro, a British novelist and a short-story writer. After his parents’ death he was brought up by a grandmother and two aunts, one of them was a woman of ungovernable temper, of fierce likes and dislikes, imperious and a moral coward. She was the last person who should have been in charge of children. The character of the aunt in The Lumber-Room is Aunt Augusta to the life. The story is about a little boy Nikolas who lives with his cruel aunt, brother and cousins.One day he commits the offence thus bringing the punishment upon himself, but he’s not upset as he is intended to sneak into the lumber-room. He plays trick with his aunt and finally gets into the forbidden paradise. The main idea of this story is the conflict between unchangeable conventional reality and poetry and intellectual freedom, between dogmatic, pedantic, philistine mind and poetic imagination. The story is a 3-person narration interlaced with inner thoughts and descriptive passages. The prevailing mood is rather positive, ironical and highly emotional.The text under study can be divided into 4 logically complete parts. The first part can be entitled â€Å"the 1 part of the plan†. Nickolas is not going with his small brother and his cousins to the Jagborough sands as his aunt has punished him for his disgraceful conduct at breakfast when he refused to eat his wholesome bread-and milk on the seemingly frivolous ground that there was a frog in it. The author’s attitude to the aunt is revealed with the help of the antonomasia â€Å"older and wiser and better people† and the high-flown adjectives â€Å"wholesome and frivolous†.Nickolas is shown as a very wise and clever boy for his age. In the following paragraph the author resorts to some bookish words such as â€Å"alleged†, â€Å"profoundly in error†, â€Å"utmost assurance† and long sentences to make the reader feel the st yle of aunt’s thoughts and haughty treatment of the children. Apart from Nickolas his aunt is described rather directly; she’s shown as self-confident and self-righteous person who can never admit her mistake. Her false piety is depicted by ironical use of religious words, such as â€Å"sin† and â€Å"depravity†.Judicial and military terminology such as â€Å"rigorously debarred†, â€Å"skilled tactician† conveys the tense atmosphere in the aunt and boy’s relations. At the time of children’s departure N drops a few decent tears. But he isn’t upset as this is just a part of his plan. The second part can be entitled as â€Å"the 2 part of the plan†. N is forbidden to go into the gooseberry garden as he’s in disgrace. And his aunt is going to keep an eye on it. But N himself feels perfectly capable of being in disgrace and in the gooseberry garden at the same time. And with the help of the zeugma the author co ntributes humorous effect in the text.The reader can trace the opposition between the aunt and the boy, which is again reproduced by the military terms, such as â€Å"sorties†, â€Å"operations†, â€Å"sentry-duty†, â€Å"unauthorized intrusion†. This idea also appears in the different attitude to the gooseberry garden. For aunt it is a forbidden paradise and for N it’s just a mere material pleasure. The descriptive passage of the aunt shows her as a woman of few ideas, with immense power of concentration. So, during N’s aunt duty, the boy gets the key, which opens the door of the lumber-room. The third part can be entitled â€Å"in the lumber-room†.N gets into the lumber-room and everything is new for him. In the first paragraph we see the repetition of the word â€Å"it†, which indicates Nikolas’s strong desire to get into the lumber-room. It was carefully sealed but this fact just stirred his curiosity. With the help of the metaphor â€Å"unimagined treasure† and description of the lumber-room (it was dimly lit), the author creates the mysterious atmosphere. Nicholas’s aunt is shown as rather conservative and mean as she prefer to consign things to dust and damp to preserve them and not to spoil.The metaphorical epithet â€Å"living breathing story† is used to show that Nickolas was impressionable, imaginative, full of creative ideas with poetic nature. It is understood indirectly through Nicholas’s attitude to the tapestry picture, which he sees for the first time but creates a vivid fairytale with a great number of small details. And the questions used in this paragraph indicate the dynamically developing plot of the fairytale in the N’s mind. The metaphorical epithet â€Å"golden minutes† is used to show that the time Nickolas spends in the lumber-room is very precious.When N finishes with the picture he notices other objects of delight and interest. The great number of epithets used in this part such as: objects of delight, (claiming his) instant attention, quaint candlesticks, undreamed-of creatures and the metaphorical expression â€Å"for the eyes to feast on† – emphasizes the fact that N isn’t used to such unusual things and it makes the opposition to the things in the house, which are â€Å"bare† and â€Å"cheerless†, dull and shapeless. The use of the exclamatory marks shows highly emotional state of the boy.Suddenly, the scream and then shriek of the aunt come from the gooseberry garden. But N smiles as he feels his victory in the war. Being skilled tactician he restores things to their places, shakes some dust on them, creeps from the room, locks the door and replaces the key exactly where he had found it. He saunters into the garden considering himself the winner of the battle. The 4th part can be entitled as â€Å"The rebellion†. Nickolas hears his aunt’s voice from the gooseberry garden where she gets into the rain-water tank while searching for him and she can’t get out as the sides are slippery.She asks him to help but he says that he isn’t to go into the garden and suspects her being the Evil One that tempts him to be disobedient. We see now that Nickolas pronounces the aunt’s usual phrase and thus fights her with her own weapon. This idea is proved with the using the metaphor â€Å"the prisoner in the tank†. So, the person who rescues the aunt is a kitchemaid. During the evening tea there is fearsome silence. The children are disappointed with the trip as there was the tide and there was no sands to play on and the metaphor punitive expedition contributes the state of the children.The aunt suffers the situation in the tank and only Nickolas, who is to be in disgrace is satisfied and thinks about the continuation of the story pictured in his mind while watching tapestry in the lumber-room. The story ends again with the antithesis of unchangeable conventional reality and poetry and intellectual freedom. On the whole this text appeals to me as it shows the problems of human nature and children up-bringing. The aunt is a conventional person who tries to keep everything as it is, without any change.She has no joy in her life and she brings up the children in the way that leads them to the same attitude to the world. But in spite of this, N, a young but extremely wise and clever boy, sees the things from the different side. He is very curious; he enjoys the world and tries to broaden his horizon. This problem of upbringing is still quite acute and the story helps to see it from another side. Moreover, the author makes an abundant usage of different stylistic devices which produce ironical and humorous effect and helps to ridicule such way of up-bringing through the character of the aunt and this makes the story even more vivid.

Reviewing Friction: An Ethnography of Global Connection Essay

Starting with a critical outline of the global patterns and designs in communication, Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing’s seminal work Friction: An Ethnography of Global Connection attempts at a critical examination of the widespread principle of worldwide associations lingering almost everywhere. While Tsing explicates that her work â€Å"is not a history of philosophy but rather an ethnography of global connection (Tsing, 2004, p. 1)†, she also unravels a tight regard for the seemingly presented connections among the various sections of the society. Apparently, one of the book’s main concerns is to obtain the movement patterns wherein various types of knowledge and culture collide against or with each other. This, perhaps, is the logical and obvious contention behind the book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The initial section of Friction probes into the notion of ‘richness’ or prosperity through an examination of the numerous sides of capitalism. The first part also seeks an exploration of the events that lead to capitalism and its corresponding effects from a bigger viewpoint. While putting down into understanding the significant concepts needed to have a better comprehension of the foundations and modern expressions of capitalism, the first part also brings into light quite a few matters surrounding the delicate and complicated ties from all over the globe. This section introduces the part where the Tsing will subsequently interlock the discussion about the worldwide political environment which encompasses the Indonesian society including the local communities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tsing’s seminal work also makes the plain observation that the population increase or boom has equally led to a rapid disproportion in the environment as resources would then have to be consumed or used in a larger scale or degree. Because capitalism is one of the book’s primary concerns, it attempts to showcase the definitive function of capitalism in this imbalance which is largely amplified by the increase in population in the modern years. Tsing further observes that proliferation is also a crucial principle that indicates the expansion or spread of capitalism (Tsing, 2004, p. 27). This results to the presumption that the population expansion—with the combination of capitalist expansion—is a measure of proliferation. In return, the proliferation generates the setting of frontiers which are not mere edges but more importantly specific forms of edges â€Å"where the expansive nature of extraction comes into its own (Tsing, 2004, p. 27).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Generally, the opening parts of the book, including the first chapter, are initially segmented into two sections: the first section deals with the concept of frontier and the resources which consist it founded on the ethnographic observations during the middle parts of the 1990s; the second section probes the consequences of the predicaments during 1997 when â€Å"frontier-making spiraled out of control (Tsing, 2004, p. 28).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second main section of Friction explores the concept of Natural Universals with respect to the various contexts in the whole world. Friction inevitably draws the parallels between universality of a supreme being which is God and the universality of nature through the environment for generating the link between Nature and God. While the chapter probes into the â€Å"universality of capital-N Nature† which is the â€Å"awe-inspiring, lawlike systematicity of the cosmos of and of life on earth† (Tsing, 2004, p. 88), the book also inevitably draws the essential link between Nature and the rest of the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Friction also notes the presumption that generalizations are where â€Å"small details support great visions and the universal is discovered in particularities (Tsing, 2004, p. 89)†. This presupposes the notion that â€Å"generalization to the universal requires a large space of compatibility among disparate particular facts and observations (Tsing, 2004, p. 89).† It also translates into the idea that â€Å"tentative and contingent collaborations† among incongruent seekers of knowledge as well as their incongruent â€Å"forms of knowledge† can create compatible facts and observations from incongruent ones (Tsing, 2004, p. 89). These observations discussed in the book brings us face to face with the core of what the author is presupposing: the idea that mere generalizations are just as they are without getting hold of the particulars that comprise them. If put altogether like a single unit, these very particularities will compose the bigger picture where the rest of Nature and of the world function as a unified force. The second chapter further tries to ascertain the supposition that one can start to take action on the idea of ‘thinking globally’ through the awareness of a present generalization among things. That is, the realization of the commonality among the various elements and entities in the world through their predominant generalities helps us overcome the barriers that hinder us from thinking on a large scale and attain the end of global connections.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author steadfastly formulates this position by affirming that â€Å"as long as facts are apples and oranges, one cannot generalize across them; one must first see them as ‘fruit’ to make general claims (Tsing, 2004, p. 89).† This makes the book even more mind rousing as it nears its middle part. As Friction exposes certain critical observations such as the inability or failure of individuals to realize the common general thread which holds people together as one, it also brings into consciousness the possible means of surmounting the test of realizing the more general claims.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, Friction reiterates the idea that â€Å"cultural analysis thrives on the description of specificity† given that it is the paramount scheme for us to get hold of â€Å"a critical distance from the common-sense platitudes and everyday assumptions of our lives† and â€Å"the powerful ideologies that keep us in their thrall† (Tsing, 2004, p. 122). Friction reasserts the position that omitting the comprehension about the particulars disarms one with the capacity to approach and comprehend the more evident actuality in the rear of our common-sense perception of the globe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Nature Loving† further makes manifest as well as supports the belief that the assorted interactions concerning different categories of knowledge and culture are unyielding factors in investigating universal claims. Using the Indonesian rainforest as an example, the book reiterates the belief that people have always been in contact with nature. One example to this is the fact that there are ‘nature lovers’ who are â€Å"devoted to outdoor activities such as camping, mountain climbing, rafting, and scuba diving (Tsing, 2004, p. 122)†. These individuals merely consist of a little fraction of the bigger populace whose daily lives involve contact with Nature such as the Indonesians.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Friction penetrates deep into the analysis by putting side by side the observations of the poet Kristiandi Tanumihardja with the observations of individuals from the scientific community to the masses. The cornerstone of these observations from the book relates the idea that nature has its own way of communication which is evidently unique in its own mysterious ways. As Friction talks about the human endeavors to disclose the mysteries behind the way Nature communicates not only by the scientific community but also by the world of literature, it also hopes that â€Å"even with such limited understanding† the attempts â€Å"might bring us closer to knowing how to live in a multispecies world† (Tsing, 2004, p. 172). Friction further concretizes an observation in the chapter â€Å"A History of Weediness† where the author explores â€Å"the interdependence of species† by reflecting on â€Å"the beasts and flowers, not just as symbols and resources, but as co-residents and collaborators† (Tsing, 2004, p. 172). This corresponds to the presumption that there should be ‘respect’ in the manner which human beings deal with the environment. The book reveals the outlines upon which the societies have significantly transformed—and, to a certain extent, revolutionized—across generations which largely contributed to the major changes in Nature. More importantly, Friction tries to reveal the assessment that Nature and the cultural processes have been normally delegated with various disjunctions and differences as well as with the heterogeneous factors which intertwine along the way—it is the part in which people ordinarily refer to as the concept of ‘globalization’.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The final chapter â€Å"Freedom† in Friction commences with the belief that â€Å"travel changes the way we imagine our home places (Tsing, 2004, p. 213)† which leads us towards the idea that ‘movement’ should be present for us to acquire a consistent and unyielding comprehension and appreciation of Nature and the global environment. It is only through this movement can a broader understanding of the global connections existing take place. More importantly, these movements are paramount or equivalent to the different social movements and upheavals in more recent times. These include the various social movements among the community of civilians consistently engaging with the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Friction’s final chapter further broadens the kinds of collaborations where â€Å"political gains and compromises† can be assessed â€Å"through constant attention to these kinds of collaborations and their effects† (Tsing, 2004, p. 268). While aggregating the general contentions of Friction in studying global interconnections and the many particularities involved in comprising the larger whole, the book also places a special emphasis on Indonesia’s environmental status. Friction reports facts about the principal subject matters in investigating the ethnography of global connections and the findings by earlier generations as well as the contemporary ones which ascertain what people comprehend as signs of globalization. References Indonesia: Environmental Issues. (2004).  Ã‚   Retrieved November 2, 2007, from http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/indoe.html Tsing, A. L. (2004). Friction: An Ethnography of Global Connection. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Yarrow, T. (2006). Book Review: riction: An Ethnography of Global Connection By Anna Lowenhaupt  Ã‚   Tsing. Political and Legal Anthropology Review, 29(2), 291-296.

Packet Generator Essays - Network Performance, Packet Loss

Packet Generator Essays - Network Performance, Packet Loss Packet Generator MOTIVATION / GOALS When it comes to real-world network throughput, there are as many opinions about network performance as there are network installations. Every network site is unique, and the performance of the network is a function of the number of stations contending for access to the Ethernet, the type of hardware in use (station interfaces, switches), the layout of the cables (are they the right type, right length, and do they meet the configuration guidelines?), the quality of the cable installation and the mix of applications. However, with the ever-increasing number of networks, the traffic over the Internet is going to be saturated and performance will be down. In light of this problem, the testing, simulating and troubleshooting of a network device become very important. Therefore, in order to develop a more efficient and effective method, the project's goals is To provide the users more functions and flexibility in terms of the packet arrival pattern and the packet size generation. To assess network or the network component's ability to support the given traffic load in terms of packet loss, delay, delay jitters etc. To source and sink real-time multicast/unicast UDP/IP traffic flows with optional support for operation with ISI's rsvpd. To transmit, receive and log time-stamped, sequence numbered packets. To provide a traffic controller using the Leaky Bucket method. INTRODUCTION Informations Technology personnel often look to network benchmark tests to measure monitor and predict the performance of the LANs. This is especially valuable in the case of high-performance backbones that continually support a large number of users and consistently high traffic volumes. However, the current technology of packet generator is very limited in functionality and usage. The project will aim to increase the flexibility of the packet generator in the following areas: Increase the range of options and flexibility with regards to the packet transmission pattern. Instead of just specifying the packet size, the user would be able to specify the distribution function he/she wants to be implemented. Add a traffic controller module to control the number of generated packets that is being sent to the network. Implementing the leaky bucket method and combining it with the dropping method for the traffic controller. HIGHER-LEVEL BLOCK DIAGRAM OF SYSTEM CONCEPT OF LEAKY BUCKET DROPPING METHOD LEAKY BUCKET ALGORITHM Background Our project was actually spawned from the idea of MGEN. It was actually designed and developed by The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). Multi-Generator or MGEN is currently running on most operating systems, namely SunOS 4.1.x, Solaris 2.x, Intel-based Linux, NetBSD, etc. Furthermore, MGEN is a specific set of software that provides the ability to generate and receive packets through the network base on an input script file. However, the MGEN script is very limited in terms of its flexibility and functionality. For example, packet arrival generation can only be set to either a Periodic or a Poisson Distribution. Therefore, in order to exploit the MGEN's full capability, a Data Flow On command can be further developed. These two distributions do not represent the real time traffic flow in the network. Therefore, our project will involved developing this MGEN code and coding it in C language so that its packet generator pattern will have few more distributions that better represent a ne twork flow. Among the distribution functions we will include are Exponential, Uniform Distribution, Gamma Distribution etc. In addition, the packet size is to be changed from a fixed value to a varying amount of packet sizes. Also, we have to include the Traffic controller so that we will be able to control the new traffic flow generated by different distributions. As a result, the implementation of leaky bucket will be necessary in order to achieve this goal. Strategic Plan Proposed Approach Our first objective is to work on the packet generator module, study and develop the MGEN code, which was coded in C program. We will choose to run and develop our project on SunOS machines. Using the inputs specified by the users, MGEN will generates packets pattern to the network. The second step is to introduce different distribution functions and add them to the source code in the form of modules. So far, the Exponential and Uniform distribution are the two distributions to be added. Depending upon the progress of the project,

Rules for Writing Place Names with “The”

Rules for Writing Place Names with â€Å"The† Rules for Writing Place Names with â€Å"The† We live in the United States of America. Other countries go without a â€Å"the† – otherwise known as the definite article – before their names. Why is this? And what is it that makes America so much better than every other country? Even our dogs are patriotic. [Photo: Randy Robertson/wikimedia]Well, we’re proofreaders, meaning we’re not qualified to comment on the global status of particular countries. But we know plenty about language, so we can answer that first question. In fact, we’ll dedicate this entire blog post to explaining when (and when not) to add â€Å"the† before a place name. Read on to find out more! Countries and Continents The United States of America is not the only place that uses â€Å"the† in its name. There’s also â€Å"the United Kingdom,† â€Å"the Seychelles† and many others. Essentially, we use â€Å"the† for countries that encompass a group of places. So â€Å"the United States of America† is a group of states and â€Å"the Seychelles† is a group of islands. Most countries don’t require this article, since they’re considered a single place. The other situation when â€Å"the† is required is when a country’s name includes the word â€Å"republic,† like â€Å"the People’s Republic of China.† Other examples include: Definite Article No Article Required The United Kingdom England The Democratic Republic of Congo Senegal The Netherlands Belgium The Czech Republic Estonia It’s worth noting that some regions used to be described with â€Å"the† (e.g., â€Å"the Ukraine† or â€Å"the Argentine†), but that it’s incorrect to add â€Å"the† when describing the modern countries associated with these areas (e.g., Ukraine and Argentina). Since all continents, like â€Å"Europe† or â€Å"North America,† are singular, none require the definite article. We do, however, sometimes use â€Å"the† for the regions to which continents belong, so we might refer â€Å"the Antarctic† when discussing Antarctica. Also known as that place with the penguins. States, Cities and Regions States (e.g., Utah, Tennessee, Alabama) and cities (e.g., Michigan, Paris, Beijing) are almost always treated as single places. As such, they do not usually require the definite article. When discussing specific regions, on the other hand, it’s fairly common to add â€Å"the† before the place name. For instance, we might say â€Å"the Midwest of America† or â€Å"the South of France.† Lakes and Mountains Single lakes and mountains do not generally require the definite article (e.g., Lake Erie, Mount Hayes). It’s important to check, however, since there are exceptions, such as â€Å"the Matterhorn.† Furthermore, we do use â€Å"the† when describing a group of lakes (â€Å"the Great Lakes†) or a mountain range (â€Å"the Rockies†). It’s also conventional to use â€Å"the† when naming oceans (â€Å"the Atlantic†) and rivers (â€Å"the Mississippi†). Buildings, Streets and Monuments There are no special rules for whether buildings and place names require the definite article, so the best thing to do if you’re unsure is check. Examples include: Type of Place Definite Article No Article Required Building The Empire State Building Buckingham Palace Street The Mall, London Broadway, New York Monument The Statue of Liberty Christ the Redeemer THE Empire State Building.

Causes of the Euro Debt Crisis, Its Impact on International Financial Assignment

Causes of the Euro Debt Crisis, Its Impact on International Financial Markets, Including the US, the Eurozone and Asia, and Ways to Resolve It Euro Debt Crisis Causes and salient events leading to the present crisis Euro debt crisis is a financial situation facing the euro zone comprising of 17 member states that use the euro currency where some member countries have worsening sovereign debts borrowed from financial institutions. These countries pose a credit risk if they default on their obligations to the detriment of the monetary union. The case is more severe for member countries like Greece, Italy, Ireland and Spain. Various causes and events have been pointed as leading to the present crisis. For example, according to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe- ALDE (2008, 11) structural factors that encouraged free market, deregulation of markets, self-regulating market virtues and increased use of new global financial instruments as a major cause. Extensive leverage on a large scale by market participants and enhanced systemic risk due to reduced transparency and contagion effects. The extensive sovereign bor rowing, slow or stagnant economic growth rates by Greece and Italy and lowering of credit rating for Greece from A- to Triple B plus are some of the events that have worsened the crisis (VoA news, 2011). How does the debt crisis in some countries within the Euro zone, such as Greece, Italy etc. impact on the international financial markets, including US, Euro zone and Asia? As indicated on the figure on nytimes.com, the world has become a global village and is much interconnected. Severe debt crisis shocks in Greece and Italy are likely to result into continental contagion because financial institutions holding their sovereign debts have origins and investments in different continents (New York Times, 2011). Both US and Asia heavily trade with Europe and the euro debt crisis is likely to slow down their economic growth and possible down-grading of financial institutions that hold sovereign debt instruments. Due to possibility of high credit risk, interest rates are also likely to go up for both the private and public sector complicating the case further. High sovereign debts among Greece, Italy and Spain could force financial institutions to write off some debts or a bailout plan by able countries like Germany and France. Possible collapse of the euro would result into financial loss for among banks (Yahoo news, 2011). How does the crisis impact the valuation of Euro as against other major currencies in the world? Worsening debt crisis would mean slow economic growth among member states and high credit risk associated with holding the Euro resulting to low demand. This makes the euro to depreciate among the major currencies and players prefer to hold safer currencies like the US dollar and Swiss franc. For example, the euro lost 25% of its value against the U.S. dollar since November 2009 to June 2010 (Kolb, 2011, 389) How, in your opinion, would the crisis be resolved? First, the countries have to embrace better fiscal management to avoid unnecessary national expenditures among. Rationalization of fiscal income, better tax collection and cuts in civil servants salaries among member states to avoid higher heterogeneity should be embraced (Kolb, 2011, 390). Member states should also allow the central European authority to have some control over their sovereign budgets in order to create better fiscal and monetary policies. Currently, the monetary policy is joint while fiscal policy is not creating a mismatch. Allowing the European Central Bank (ECB) to have control over spending taxation would help the union to monitor and influence recovery among debt ridden countries (Yahoo news, 2011). High political goodwill and financial transparency among member states to support each other would help to reduce the global fear of a possible collapse. Initiating policies that boost economic growth in countries where its slow or stagnant would also ease the cris is. Finally, issuance of a single euro bond where member states co-guarantees their debt would lower borrowing as strong economies like Germany and France would reduce default risk. Work Cited ALDE. The international debt crisis: its causes and what to do about it. Liberals and Democrats workshop, February 27th , 2008. www.alde.eu/fileadmin/webdocs/key-docs/finance-book_EN.pdf, 2008 Keller, Greg, Pylas, Pan and Wiseman, Paul. Euro in danger, Europe races for debt solution. Yahoo News. www.news.yahoo.com/euro-danger-europe-races-debt-solution 29th Nov. 2011 Kolb, R.W. Sovereign debt: from safety to default. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2011 Marsh, Bill. It’s all connected: An overview of the Euro crisis. New York Times www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/10/23/sunday-review/an-overview-of-the-euro-crisis.html 29th Nov. 2011 Melvin, Don. Eurozone ministers meet to build Euro rescue plan. Yahoo News www.news.yahoo.com/eurozone-ministers-meet-build-euro-rescue-plan. 29th Nov. 2011 VoA News. Key dates, events in European debt crisis. VoA News. www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/keydates-events-in-european-debt-crisis.html 29th Nov. 2011

International Logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Logistics - Essay Example The grocery retail chain market in UK has become mature enough due to the presence of several potential organizations. The distribution strategy of Morrison is quite unique among the other retail players within the UK market. It is the only largest retail chain supermarket that owns and operates healthy and fresh food production and processing facilities. The organization has implemented vertical integrated distribution operation in the food category. This vertically integrated operation has helped Morrison to produce, distribute and retail enormous bulk of its fresh and unsullied meat and dairy requirements (Doole and Lowe, 2005, p.131). Moreover, this distribution structure helps the organization to process and package the fresh vegetables and fruits effectively. The organization has expanded and strengthens its manufacturing and distribution infrastructure in the fiscal year 2006 (Ruddick, 2013, p.1). In terms of manufacturing, Morison has expanded its in-house baking effectively and capacity by acquiring Rathbone’s 80% stake. The abattoir operation of Morrison was started to expand in the year 2005 by acquiring second facility in Scotland. The organization also has extended fruit processing and packing facility in Northamptonshire. Moreover, the organization has introduced a new warehouse in Rushden in order to package the vegetables. The organization has opened a fresh and new regional dedicated distribution centre at Kettering in the year 2005 (Furrer, 2010, p.233). It was estimated that this centre may save almost 70 nearby stores in UK. The global recession and European financial crisis in 2008 has affected international distribution and logistics structure of Morrison. Moreover several unfavourable reasons have resulted the fall in sales (plunkett, 2009, p.49). Despite of an extra trading date in the year 2011, the organization has reported 2.5pc sales drop. It is feasible that, the organization has implemented vertical integration strategy in t heir distribution channel (Mangan, Lalwani and Butcher, 2008, p.130). The major concern for Morrison is that, the sales figure has declined since the Christmas, whereas the other competitors, such as Sainsbury and Tesco have performed relatively well comparing to Morrison. According to Philips, limited numbers of convenience stores is affecting the business performance of Morrison. The organization has only 12 convenience stores. On the other hand, the other large competitors of Morrison have strong presence in the UK grocery retail market with numerous existing convenience stores. It is indicating that, the organization has limited access to growing division of the international grocery retail market. It is expected that, the organization may face several difficulties if they try to introduce new convenience stores in near future. According to Morrison, selling the grocery food products and vegetables through convenience store will be costly comparing to the selling food products i n traditional supermarket. Therefore, it is feasible that, the limited number of convenience store is hurting the sales of the organization. On the other hand it is affecting less to the business profit margins of Morrison. Moreover, the shareholders of Morrison are backing this particular old traditional sales strategy. The declined Christmas sales figure may create huge threat for the future perspective of Morrison. The organization is still utilizing supermarket chain model in order to sell their products. It is discussed earlier that, this

Journal opinion article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Journal opinion article - Essay Example Puerto Rico debt obligations have ashamed the debt obligations of Detroit. Detroit which had 7 hundreed throusand residents went bankrupt for piling up debt obligations of 18 billion dollars which were not serviced. In comparison to this, the condition of Puerto Rico is severely devastating with the figures of debt obligations that are unfunded in various obligations and pension funds of 3.5 million residents remaining unserviced. The debt obligation has grown to a whopping amount of 87 billion dollars and the government has reached a situation where they are going to run out of funds. The island of Puerto Rico has been expecting a bailout from the US administration in order to save their economy. However, real facts indicate otherwise with news of the US brokerage firms advising investors to stay out of investing in the bonds of Puerto Rico that they plan to use to finance their debt obligations. In order to attract the investors, Puerto Rico has issued bonds with a forecasted yield of 9.29% which exceeded that of Greece. For this reason, Puerto Rico is being referred as Greece of America. In 2008, the measures taken by the government to stabilize the economy created a situation of debt trap for the territory of Puerto Rico. The governor at that point of time undertook measures like cutting down government jobs, reducing income taxes to half as well as reducing the corporate tax rate by about 9%. These measures were undertaken by looking at the limitations of government in funding the economic investments and their abilities to meet the level of expenditure with an eye on the treasury. The steps were also taken to maintain an optimum level of liquidity in the economy and contain inflation by restoring a balance between the demand and supply in the economy. The level of government job cuts reduced the expenditure of the government in terms of payment of salaries. Although this provided relief to the policy makers in the short term, the government job cuts also led to decrease in production volumes. The decrease in production volumes meant that the supply of goods and service decreased. The slowdown of the GDP led to the reduction in the earnings of revenues of the government. Although, the government of Puerto Rico tried to maintain stability by injecting liquidity in the economy through reduction of corporate and individual taxes, the slowdown of the income level and the earnings meant that the investments and the demands also deteriorated. The revenue earnings of the government suffered and the treasury volume got depleted over a period of time. Due to this debt trap in Puerto Rico, the government ran out of funds and the economy headed towards a debt crisis. The debt crisis of Puerto Rico is slightly different from that of Greece due to the fact that a major part of its debt obligations are long term. Due to small short term debt obligations, the territory would get some more time to restore its financial status and recover from the de bt obligations. The government has also taken austerity measures to control the situation of debt crisis. This includes an increase in the contribution of the state from 8.275% to 10% in the pension plans. By doing this, Puerto Rico had planned to get more funds in the pension schemes that could be used to service the debt liabilities and the long term maturities could be paid with the restoration of economy in future. The measures taken by the

Elvis Presleys Rise and Fall, and his contribution to the Rock and Research Paper

Elvis Presleys Rise and Fall, and his contribution to the Rock and Roll Music Industry - Research Paper Example The career of a celebrity is usually accompanied by a cause-and-effect based sequence of ups and downs that are supposed to be connected. But though Elvis Presley’s rise to the peak of popularity in the 1950s’ rock-n-roll music industry can fairly be explained in terms of the dynamics that an artist needs, the causes his downfall remains apparently mysterious and shrouded by some unpredictable events. At the 28th anniversary of his death he was entitled the â€Å"King of Rock n roll† due to his contribution to the rock n roll back in the 1950’s, this celebrity was fated to touch the bottom of popularity. For years Presley’s downfall has engaged the scholars in debates on the question why Presley’s popularity had to face a sharp downfall in the midway of his career forcing him to withdraw himself from the public affair. Though some critics hold the opinion that his rise as well as his subsequent downfall is the natural parts of a celebrityâ₠¬â„¢s life, most of the critics explain Presley’s downfall as a result of his pursuing for cheap popularity. The commonplace of these critics’ arguments is: the path that he chose to reach the peak of his popularity took him down. Obviously his approach was one-way and he reached the point of no-return. Even though at the beginning of his career, Elvis Presley showed a clear disposition of a marvellous musical artist, he began to increasingly depend on cheap popularity, shifting his attention from the quality of performance. A close investigation of his journey to the peak of his career fairly envisages his downfall at the end. It is significant to note that Elvis began his career as an acoustic artist.

Dynamism in Precolonial African Society Research Paper - 1

Dynamism in Precolonial African Society - Research Paper Example This essay declares that the societies of Africa, thrust into democratic setups, have been unable to function as smoothly as they did under indigenous forms of governance. This is not to suggest that democracy is not a workable form of governance in Africa. However, the transition was not effected in a very scientific manner and there was a great resistance from the ancient forms of social structuring. The power and dynamism of these social orders can be seen in the resistance to sudden and imposed change that they offer. The tribal forms of governance in African societies were in many ways, examples of a smooth and efficient from of democracy. While they were not completely democratic by any stretch of imagination, they did offer certain strengths to women and marginalized sections of the society in ways that Western society never has. They also offered means of redressal for people who had been wronged in ways that were quick and efficient. In many colonized societies a quick and s mooth system of justice was often replaced by Western systems of law that failed to work as effectively in these societies. They were unable to dispense justice in quick and efficient ways. This paper makes a conclusion that Africa has been referred to as the ‘dark continent’. This epithet has obviously racist connotations. It also designates the continent as one which was always ignorant of civilized ways of being. The dynamic and robust structuring of precolonial African societies belies these views.

Reconstruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Reconstruction - Essay Example The south solving the broken society made them freedmen look as burden that needs support. The people from the North forced the burden to them. Du Bois passes no blame to the south for the hatred they had on black and understood their reason for such brutality, despite all that, the opinion of Foner is still regarded as a success and correct. Conversely, reconstruction was largely confined, limited, and conservative, and failed in enacting real change for the black people. Foner dismisses the idea that Dunning schools are ludicrous and took a middle stance between the post revisionist and revisionists. He failed to live up the beliefs and ideas he began with, rather it enacted radical changes to the society found in the south. Especially the unplanned move of black men to areas that are political and socially established that they would depend on for years. For all the failures, he acknowledged the need for reconstruction to establish the possibility for a country that is more than just America. He states that the creation and consolidation after the war offered the foundation from where the modern civil rights

Elvis Presleys Rise and Fall, and his contribution to the Rock and Research Paper

Elvis Presleys Rise and Fall, and his contribution to the Rock and Roll Music Industry - Research Paper Example The career of a celebrity is usually accompanied by a cause-and-effect based sequence of ups and downs that are supposed to be connected. But though Elvis Presley’s rise to the peak of popularity in the 1950s’ rock-n-roll music industry can fairly be explained in terms of the dynamics that an artist needs, the causes his downfall remains apparently mysterious and shrouded by some unpredictable events. At the 28th anniversary of his death he was entitled the â€Å"King of Rock n roll† due to his contribution to the rock n roll back in the 1950’s, this celebrity was fated to touch the bottom of popularity. For years Presley’s downfall has engaged the scholars in debates on the question why Presley’s popularity had to face a sharp downfall in the midway of his career forcing him to withdraw himself from the public affair. Though some critics hold the opinion that his rise as well as his subsequent downfall is the natural parts of a celebrityâ₠¬â„¢s life, most of the critics explain Presley’s downfall as a result of his pursuing for cheap popularity. The commonplace of these critics’ arguments is: the path that he chose to reach the peak of his popularity took him down. Obviously his approach was one-way and he reached the point of no-return. Even though at the beginning of his career, Elvis Presley showed a clear disposition of a marvellous musical artist, he began to increasingly depend on cheap popularity, shifting his attention from the quality of performance. A close investigation of his journey to the peak of his career fairly envisages his downfall at the end. It is significant to note that Elvis began his career as an acoustic artist.

Reconstruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Reconstruction - Essay Example The south solving the broken society made them freedmen look as burden that needs support. The people from the North forced the burden to them. Du Bois passes no blame to the south for the hatred they had on black and understood their reason for such brutality, despite all that, the opinion of Foner is still regarded as a success and correct. Conversely, reconstruction was largely confined, limited, and conservative, and failed in enacting real change for the black people. Foner dismisses the idea that Dunning schools are ludicrous and took a middle stance between the post revisionist and revisionists. He failed to live up the beliefs and ideas he began with, rather it enacted radical changes to the society found in the south. Especially the unplanned move of black men to areas that are political and socially established that they would depend on for years. For all the failures, he acknowledged the need for reconstruction to establish the possibility for a country that is more than just America. He states that the creation and consolidation after the war offered the foundation from where the modern civil rights

My First Lair Essay Example for Free

My First Lair Essay It was 22nd of December, 2001, my 10th birthday. As usual on every birthday when i was 10, my parents bought for me a super fancy bike. That was the best gift i’d ever had, but i was not suitable to receive it. At that times, a Math competition was held at my high-school, everyone in class had to join this event ,and the reward from my parents is the Martin bike . As a arrogant kid, I was very confident about myself, and I assumed that I’ll win that competition. I didnt prepare any things for that contest . â€Å"Piece of cake† is my moto , i always say that whenever I see a math. Until the contest day I still said â€Å" piece of cake† in the test. Step by step, I finished my work quickly and felt very confident about the test. I remember that day, I call the guy who sat in font of me â€Å"loser† because he finished his paper slower than me,and overshadowed Tu whom was bot student in class . I was such an haughty kid. Then i paid for my arrogantly, i lost in that competition, i didnt see the bonus extra point question, so i skipped that. Finally Vinh- the loser did good all the questions. Standing at the 2nd which mean the Martin was still far far away from me. Being on the top a long time, 2nd is unacceptable for me, and I really wanted the Martin. I’d been thinking about that for few days, then I got a evil idea that my parents was always busy with their business, and they would believe anything from me. I decided blithely sacrifice future security in exchange for immediate gratification. I told them that i won the contest, then got a new bike from them. Extremely super ultra awesome was not enough to describe my feeling in this moment. I’d enjoyed my new stuff til that day. Life is not simple as i think, the contest result was hung . One day my parents came home with a bad mood, they just looked at me in a disappointed way, then ignored me in that day. I could predict that they knew the truth . That was the first time i lied to them, they must be very sad . I really really wanted to talk to them in that day, but i could; shame on me . Next day, i put all my bravely into my word; â€Å"I’m sorry† that all i could say, and they just smiled, and said â€Å" it’s ok, you should be honest next time, don’t exchange our faith with a fancy thing â€Å" . I cried after hear that . Their quote always follows me until now . Thing can buy although it’s very expensive , but faith is invaluable . That was how my first lair work on .

Civil Disobedience Movement 1930-1934

Civil Disobedience Movement 1930-1934 The Civil Disobedience Movement led by M K Gandhi, in the year 1930 was an important milestone in the history of Indian Nationalism. During the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Indians learnt how philosophical tenets like ‘non violence’ and ‘passive resistance’ could be used to wage political battles. The programs and policies adopted in the movements spearheaded by Gandhi reflected his political ideologies of ahimsa and satyagraha. While the Non-Cooperation Movement was built on the lines of ‘non violent-non-cooperation’, the essence of The Civil Disobedience Movement was ‘defying of the British laws’. Through his leadership to the National Movements, he not only buttressed his political stance but also played a crucial role in unification of the country, awakening of the masses, and bringing politics within the arena of the common man. Causes of the Civil Disobedience Movement Simon Commission: One of the main factors was the Simon Commission. This was formed by the British Government that included solely the members of the British Parliament, in November 1927, to draft and formalize a constitution for India. The chairmanship of the commission rested with Sir John Simon, who was a well known lawyer and an English statesman. Accused of being an All-White Commission, the Simon Commission was rejected by all political and social segments of the country. In Bengal, the opposition to the Simon Commission assumed a massive scale, with a hartal being observed in all corners of the province on February 3rd, 1928. On the occasion of Simons arrival in the city, demonstrations were conducted in Calcutta. The Nehru Report: The British justified that ‘disharmony among the various groups in the country’ was the reason why Indians were not included in the Simon Commission. In 1925 and 1927, Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary of State, had challenged the Indian leaders to draft a constitution to which all parties would agree (keeping the communal disunity in mind). Representative of the congress, the league, the liberals, the Hindu Mahasabha, the central Sikh league, and a number of smaller groups representing labour, business and other interests, met in an all-parties` conference between February and May 1928. A select committee was appointed for the actual drafting of the constitutional scheme. Pandit Motilal Nehru with Tej Bahadur Sapru, sir Ali Imam, Sardar Mangal Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose as its members. The Nehru committee`s report as it was called was submitted on 10 August, 1928. The Nehru report stated that the next immediate step for India must be ‘dominion status’. The Nehru report was approved by the congress at Calcutta in December 1928. Gandhiji sponsored a resolution agreeing to ‘dominion status’ so long as the British accepted the Nehru constitution in its entirety, which should happen in one year. If they did not, congress would `organize a campaign of non-violent non-co-operation` which would include refusal to pay taxes. The failure of the Government to comply with the Nehru report finally made the Congress to launch Civil Disobedience Movement under Gandhiji. The Launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement: First Stage The Congress Committee met at Sabarmati in February, and invested Gandhi and those working with him’ with full authority to lead and direct the Civil Disobedience campaign. Gandhi was urged by the Congress to render his much needed leadership to the Civil Disobedience Movement. Dandi March: On the historic day of 12th March, 1930, Gandhi inaugurated ‘The Civil Disobedience Movement’ by conducting the historic Dandi Salt March, where he broke the Salt Laws imposed by the British Government. Followed by an entourage of seventy nine ashramites, Gandhi embarked on his march from his Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi that is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea. On 6th April 1930, Gandhi with the accompaniment of seventy nine satyagrahis, violated the Salt Law by picking up a fistful of salt lying on the sea shore. They manually made salt on the shores of Dandi. Gandhi-Irwin Pact: In the meantime, the First Round Table Conference was held in 1930, with no Congress member as the participant of the Conference. This led to the meeting of Gandhi and Lord Irwin, the viceroy in March 1931. Here they signed a pact, which came to be known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. Accordingly, they agreed on the Discontinuation of the civil disobedience movement by the Indian National Congress participation by the Indian National Congress in the Round Table Conference withdrawal of all ordinances issued by the British Government imposing curbs on the activities of the Indian National Congress withdrawal of all prosecutions relating to several types of offenses except those involving violence release of prisoners arrested for participating in the civil disobedience movement removal of the tax on salt, which allowed the Indians to produce, trade, and sell salt legally and for their own private use. Second Round Table Conference Gandhi attended The Second Round Table Conference in London accompanied by Smt. Sarojini Naidu. At this Conference, it was claimed by Mahatma Gandhi that the Congress represented more than eighty five percent of the Indian population. During this Conference, Gandhi could not reach agreement with the Muslims on Muslim representation and safeguards. Gandhis claim of the Congress representing majority was not endorsed by the British and also the Muslim representative. The final blow to Gandhi came when at the end of the conference Ramsay MacDonald undertook to produce a Communal Award for minority representation, with the provision that any free agreement between the parties could be substituted for his award. Thus, the Second Round Table Conference proved to be futile for the Indians and Gandhi returned to the country without any positive result. The political scene in India thereafter assumed an acute dimension. The Viceroy, Lord Willington, in the absence of Gandhi has adopted the policy of repression. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was violated and the Viceroy took to the suppression of the Congress. The Conservative party, which was in power in England, complied with the decision to assume a repressive stance against the Congress and the Indians. The Congress was also held responsible by the government to have instigated the Red Shirts to participate in The Civil Disobedience Movement, led byKhan Abdul Ghaffar and provoking the cultivators of U.P to refuse to pay land revenue. Adding to this was the serious economic crisis that took hold of the country. Under such circumstances, the resumption of The Civil Disobedience Movement was inevitable. Renewal of the Civil Disobedience Movement: Second Stage The Congress Working Committee took the decision to restart The Civil Disobedience Movement, as the British government was not prepared to relent. Gandhi resumed the movement in January, 1932 and appealed to the entire nation to join in. The Viceroy was also informed of the stance assumed by the Congress. The police was given the power to arrest any person, even on the basis of mere suspicion. Sardar Patel, the President of Congress and Gandhi were arrested, along with other Congressmen. Though the second phase of The Civil Disobedience Movement lacked the organization that marked its first phase, nonetheless, the entire nation put up a tough fight and the movement continued for six months. Communal Award, 1932 Meanwhile, the failure of the Second Round Table conference convinced Mr. MacDonald to announce the Communal Award on August 16, 1932. According to the Award the right of separate electorate was not only given to the Muslims of India but also to all the minority communities in the country. The Award also declared untouchables as a minority and thus the Hindu depressed classes were given a number of special seats, to be filled from special depressed class electorates in the area where their voters were concentrated. Under the Communal Award, the principle of weightage was also maintained with some modifications in the Muslim minority provinces. Principle of weightage was also applied for Europeans in Bengal and Assam, Sikhs in the Punjab and North West Frontier Province, and Hindus in Sindh and North West Frontier Province. Though the Muslims constituted almost 56 percent of the total population of Punjab, they were given only 86 out of 175 seats in the Punjab Assembly. The Muslim majority of 54.8 percent in Punjab was thus reduced to a minority. The formula favored the Sikhs of Punjab, and the Europeans of Bengal the most. The Award was not popular with any Indian party. Muslims were not happy with the Communal Award, as it has reduced their majority in Punjab and Bengal to a minority. Yet they were prepared to accept it. In its annual session held in November 1933, the All India Muslim League passed a resolution that reads; Though the decision falls far short of the Muslim demands, the Muslims have accepted it in the best interest of the country, reserving to themselves the right to press for the acceptance of all their demands. On the other hand, the Hindus refused to accept the awards and decided to launch a campaign against it. For them it was not possible to accept the Untouchables as a minority. They organized the Allahabad Unity Conference in which they demanded for the replacement of separate electorates by joint electorates. Many nationalist Muslims and Sikhs also participated in the conference. The Congress also rejected the Award in Toto. Gandhi protested against the declaration of Untouchables as a minority and undertook a fast unto death. Though he managed to sign the Poona Pact with Dr. B. R. Ambedker, the leader of Untouchables in which the Congress met many of the Untouchables demands, the Communal Award was a blow to Gandhiji and he finally decided to suspend and withdraw mass satyagraha on 14th July, 1933. The movement ceased completely on 7th April, 1934.

Othello vs. Iago :: essays research papers

In this thesis I will explain the reasonings behind Iago . Iago is obviously the "bad apple" in this book and I will explain several reasons for this behavior. Iago is the whole reason there is any conflict in Othello. If he never had entered the play Othello would have married Desdemona and they would have lived happily ever after. Right from the beginning of the play to the very end he causes conflicts. He is directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of: Othello Desdemona, Emilia, Cassio, and Roderigo. In the very beginning of Act 1 Iago displays his hatred for Othello. He is angry at him for making Cassio the lieutenant. He then tells Roderigo that Othello and Desdemona are getting married. The two of them then go tell Desdemona's father, Brabantio, that Othello and his daughter had gotten eloped. This infuriates Brabantio. Soon after Brabantio gets a gang after Othello. Iago's treachery is first displayed hear. Iago was the person who insighted the whole ordeal. As soon as everyone arrives in Cyprus, Iago puts his plan in effect. He gets Roderigo to believe that Cassio and Desdemona are in love. This is a very significant part in showing Iago's evil. He gets Roderigo to develop a hatred for Cassio who just happens to be a victim of circumstance. He gets Cassio drunk then has Roderigo provoke a fight. Soon after Cassio stabs a man named Montano. Othello comes out and dismisses Cassio from lieutenancy. Iago is still not satisfied with his treachery. He still wants to be lieutenant. He convinces Cassio to arrange a meeting to talk with Desdemona about re-instating him as lieutenant. Cassio doesn't really know why Iago wants him to meet with Desdemona. At the end of this act Cassio says: "I never knew a Florentine more kind and honest." This line shows Cassio is not in the wrong, Iago is masterminding all of it. Othello sees Cassio talk with Desdemona and Iago comments on how that is suspicious.

Nike: A Strange and Terrbile Saga :: Company Business

Nike: A Strange and Terrbile Saga Image is a vital to the success of the giant international sports footwear and apparel corporation Nike. Endorsements by sports superstars like basketballer Michael Jordan, soccer maestro Eric Cantona and sprinting ace Cathy Freeman -- to name just a very few -- have made the company's "Swoosh" logo synonymous with "cool" for millions of young people worldwide. That image would be badly tarnished if it became widely known that the Nike empire is built on cheap Third World labour (including child labour), denial of trade union rights and collaboration with repressive regimes, most notably the Suharto regime in Indonesia. Nike Australia's public relations spokesperson, Megan Ryan, was coy about how much the company spends on marketing and sponsorship when Green Left Weekly spoke to her recently. She refused to disclose how much it pays top athletes to endorse its products. She said Nike sought to sponsor, and be endorsed by, the "best athletes possible" as a recognition of their achievements. The only image Nike sought from association with sports mega-heroes was to be recognised as an "authentic" sports brand. "Nike is not a fashion brand", she insisted. Perhaps Ryan hasn't stood on a city street corner, or in a suburban shopping centre, to see just how much Nike gear has become part of youth culture. This is in large part due to the "street cred" that comes from being associated with the likes of the larger-than-life Michael Jordan and the outrageous "dunk-punk" Dennis Rodman, US NBA basketball -- according to one poll, the most popular sport among Australian young people -- and, indirectly, African-American fashion and music. Okay, Ryan finally conceded, there is "some flow-through effect". In fact, more than 60% of Nike sales are to non-athletes. To achieve this "flow-through effect" Nike pays Jordan, the jewel in its endorsement crown, an estimated US$20 million a year to have a sandshoe named after him. In 1992, the company forked out $250 million on its advertising and promotion budget alone. Nike advertisements appear in magazines not noted for their sports content, such as Rolling Stone and the Source, the premier US hip hop magazine. Nike billboards have featured the Swoosh symbol painted by street graffiti artists, and flying basketballers letting loose with technical sports terms like: "I'm gonna dunk on your ass". And, of course, Nike has a home page on the World Wide Web where athletic Web surfers are urged to "hear Spike Lee talk about the Air Jordan XI, call 1-800-645-6031" (perhaps Spike jogs?

The standard of living is the measure of the material well being of the given population

The standard of living is the measure of the material well being of the given population. This would include things such as your properties, motors, incomes etc†¦. it covers anything that can be given a monetary values and excludes those that cannot e.g. happiness or luck. The standard of living is measured mainly by the GDP per capita and focuses on incomes this provides a general guide to the well -being – materialistically of the population in question. If the GDP were increasing this would suggest that the population is better off, there is more wealth within the economy, one may assume there is fuller employment and people are spending more as more is produced. If people are thought to be better off one assume this to signify that people are happier but this is not necessarily true but as this cannot be measured it has to be sidelined. Health is another important factor which is difficult to identify within monetary terms however there are different statistics which can be produced e.g. number of doctors per hospital etc†¦ when the standard f living is measure if comparing over time it will be adjusted for inflation and dealt with in real terms. There is the issue of the PPP adjustment, which must be taken to account when comparing internationally as goods and service cost more and less in other nations depending on their own resources, labour markets, and performance. In Helsinki the spending on heating is likely to be much higher than in Andalusia but this does not indicate a difference in the standard of living it is simply misguiding. National GDP figures hide significant regional variations in output, employment and incomes per head of population. Within each region there are also areas of relative prosperity contrasting with unemployment black-spots and deep-rooted social and economic deprivation. We need to analyse the balance between consumption and investment. If an economy devotes too many resources to satisfying the short run needs & wants of consumers, there may be insufficient resources for investment needed for long-term economic development. Faster economic growth might improve living standards today but lead to an over-exploitation of scarce finite economic resources thereby limiting future growth prospects. The principal problems with the GDP method are that it ignored the values of goods and services which are traded but left undeclared e.g. diy jobs and the black economy in some countries e.g. Italy the black economy is estimated to be near 35% and poses a great difficulty to governments trying to estimate the net income flow. It also fails to take into account the distribution of wealth e/g/ in Saudi Arabia the GDP is not particularly low but it is all concentrated among the hands of the wealthy sheiks and in parts there is extreme poverty because there is no ‘trickle effect' of the capital throughout the society as it is maintained. Furthermore it doesn't always take into account the improvements in technology for example 15 years ago a PC for $1000 will now be 10 times worse than one valued at $500 this is not because if increased living standard but change sin technology. Economic ‘bads' can increase the figure of the standard of living, even though the ‘quality of life' has decreased. For example traffic jams cause more petrol to be consumed but increase the income and output of a county. Also the environment can be damaged in this case, but one person may hold a higher value for the environment than another. These valuation problems apply to health and defense the output of these does not have a market price but the value is determined by the cost of producing them. The quality of life can also be over o under valued because say we take longer holidays output and income may fall but happiness will increase, similarly a crackdown on pollution by rise the prices of supply and therefore consumption but make our lives intrinsically more happy. Another method of measuring the living standard of an economy could be to examine the consumer durables. Thee can be anything from cars to washing machines to nice houses to computers. It is theorized that the more of these items you own the higher your standard of living would be. E.g. a man with 2 Bentleys and a Rolls Royce compared to a man with two skodas and a ford fiesta will be assumed to have higher standard of living. However sometimes it is difficult to compare some durables for instance TV's just because one is valued at more does it necessarily imply a better quality therefore even those who can afford it may not opt for the most costly. Also if I have seven flats in Norwich or one house in Kensington, which would make me, better off? Consumer durables also exclude savings and services, some people choose to accumulate their wealth as opposed to purchase consumer durables therefore it is not at all a clear indicator of the real standard of living. Compared to the GDP method it is extremely vague and inaccurate, the previous method is much more thorough and examines wealth in terms of cash and not goods for this latter method one needs to heavily account for consumer spending trends which can be extremely unpredictable. The third and final method is a non-monetary system of using the human development index. A measure of economic development The Human Development Report has been published by the United Nations each year since 1990. The report contains detailed statistical information on economic and social development indicators for virtually every country in the world. Among the hundreds of tables and charts we find the annual data on the Human Development Index and the Human Poverty Index. Both are simple measures of the extent to which living standards vary across countries. The HDI is constructed as an aggregate index of three components: education, income, and life expectancy at birth. The focus of the HDI is on the escape from poverty – defined as an HDI below 0.5. Here is a list of some of the social aspects that need to be considered o The number of patients per doctor – a measure of health provision in a country o Hospital waiting lists for important operations o The number of children per thousand of the population who die each year (infant mortality rates) o The average food intake per person (measured by average calorific intake) o The proportion of the population that can read or write – literacy rates o Average educational attainment at different age levels o Crime rates o Divorce rates These statistics should indicate what proportion of the population is enjoying a minimum standard of living although perceptions of what is needed for a basic quality of life vary. The figures could be misleading as in developing nations increases would imply better standards of living and more westernized countries would appear to be worse than they are. In conclusion I think the HDI is the best method to provide an overall picture of the economy and covers very many social aspects which are key to determining somebody's quality of life. The GDP method is the most reliable statistically and most through but the problems outlined are particularly heard to overcome in particular that of the black economy. The consumer durable methods is extremely inefficient ad indicates of nothing expect consumer spending patterns.

Global Perspective

However, we did not jump right into the semester with enthusiasm and excitement. Our first lecture was on photography, although I am very interested in photography, this lecture was tedious. To see the slides that Stephen Puppeteers was presenting the lights had to be shut off, which made it very easy to doze off or have your mind be somewhere else. Despite the dark lecture hall and the dullness of Mr.. Pettifoggers voice, his photographs were incredible.His photographs ranged from beautiful breathtaking landscapes to people from developing countries with health robbers and lost limbs. The variety of his photos Is really what lured me In. I was fascinated. I had no Idea what I would be learning and experiencing throughout this semester when I signed up for this course. Even after I had had this first lecture and had attended my first discussion I still did not fully understand. As I wrote my first assignment, I babbled on and talked mostly about my past with music, still believing th is course would be all about music.Little did I know, I was all wrong. I attended ACH lecture and finally began to catch on that I would be learning something new and enjoyable every Wednesday. Each lecture after photography got more intriguing and interactive with the audience. This course by far had the most entertaining lectures, bringing students on stage to dance and act. But even after all of these lectures I was not prepared for the final lecture. This fall performance was unbelievable. It had me with goose bumps up and down my arms and legs.I could feel the beat of the drums through my whole body ND I automatically and unconsciously began swaying and tapping along to the beat. They immediately began pulling students from all over the lecture hall onto the stage and put some sort of instrument in their hand. Despite the fact that these students had never played such instruments they quickly picked up on them and joined in on the organized beat. Although this music was made up as It went along, and there were no written notes, it was still highly organized.The students knew they could not just play along to any beat they desired. There were still rules they had to abide by. As the stage continued on with their instruments, the audience was then engaged within the music with singing, clapping, dancing, and stomping. It was unreal. We all consolidated to actually compose our own beautiful music. Was amazed. The instructors some how managed to get every single person In that lecture hall participating In our freshly composed music. And from what I could see everyone seemed to be enjoying It Just as much as I was.It was a wonderful performance. It as by far the best performance all semester, as my teaching assistant informed us it woo a De. I am lucky to nave Eden addle to experience sun an event. Entering this course I did not have high expectations, it was only filling general education credits for me. However, now that I have successfully completed this c ourse it was certainly so much more. I am fortunate enough to have been able to take such a class that bestowed me with such in depth introductions to various forms of arts, from photography, theater, Jazz, classical, dance, and so much more.