Saturday, August 31, 2019
King Lear Final Paper Essay
1. The theme of this play is the relationship between parents and children. Show how Shakespeare handled this. As how Shakespeare portrayed the parent-child relationship, he diverted it in aspects of how their ruler, King Lear, was mistreated by his own children after his authority had been stripped from him. King Lear, as what took place in the play, divided his land among his three children depending on how they would be able to please him. As was not predicted by the king himself, his most beloved daughter wanted to answer him fairly for the reason that she did not want to inherit a part of his kingdom unjustly. On the other hand, the two remaining daughters of his only wanted his land, and therefore flooded the kingââ¬â¢s ears with lies. The two villainous daughters of the king represent the children who mistreat their parents when they are not of any use to them anymore. So the ungrateful children banish their father to fend for his own while they yearn for more power. Furthe rmore, the youngest daughter of the king said the truth to her father, although it would hurt him, for the reasons that she respected her father enough to tell him the painful truth. In modern times, people call it ââ¬Å"tough loveâ⬠. Her honesty did get her banished from the land, but it is evident in the play that the daughter did not love him less for his foolishness and bitter actions afterwards. 2. Discuss the importance of the storm scenes.à The storm in the play represented the lowest points of King Learââ¬â¢s life. When the king was mistreated by his two daughters, Goneril and Reagan, and shun by them, he was left out in the storm without shelter along with his fool. This scene in the play also represented his vulnerability because he had no one to run to. Luckily, Kent found him and took him in. He was willing to be taken in and cared for by his servant, since he had no power to say that he still had authority over Kent. Furthermore, the storm also represented his current state of mind and his emotions. Since he had lost all of what was his before, his mind was starting to become cloudy and his feelings were out of control. 3. Do you agree that Lear was ââ¬Å"more sinned against than sinningâ⬠? Yes I agree that King Lear had paid more than enough for the sin he had committed against his daughter. The king only banished his most loving daughter, while he, himself, was banished by his two other ungratefulà daughters. I had once stumbled across a quote that said, ââ¬Å"Karma hits twice as hard as the initial blow.â⬠This is exactly what happened to the king. For the price of banishing his youngest daughter, the deed was returned twice the initial blow because it was done to him by his two elder daughters, Goneril and Reagan. 4. ââ¬Å"This is not altogether fool, my lord.â⬠Discuss the function of the fool in the light of the remark. This statement was released by Kent in Act 1, Scene 4, as to support what the fool was pointing out during his conversation with the king. The fool was the only one whoââ¬â¢s criticism the king would listen to. In this conversation, the fool is trying to put some sense into the kingââ¬â¢s head that he had turned away from everything that should have mattered to him the most, which was his beloved daughter, Cordelia, and the land he once ruled. Those decisions led him to lose the title of being a father and a ruler, which left him with a single title of which is only owned by a fool. As a result, this only made the king a bigger fool than the fool himself because at least the fool knew better than the king. 5. The language of poetry is a metaphor. Do you agree? Cite examples from King Lear. Yes, I agree that poetry is made up of metaphors as a form of expression. The use of exaggeration in a text gives emphasis, entertainment, and imagination, to the readers. Shakespeare used the metaphoric figure of speech throughout this particular work of his. One instance would be when the king described his two daughters as pelicans in the line, ââ¬Å"ââ¬â¢Twas this flesh begot. Those pelican daughters.â⬠(Shakespeare, 141). This line signifies that the king described his daughters as animals, which is vile and cruel. Another example in the play was when the king compared himself as to how a dragon would rage seen in the line, ââ¬Å"Come not between the dragon and his wrath.â⬠(Shakespeare, 15). This sends the message to Kent that he should not enrage the monster that he already was any further.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Good and Bad Arguments
ASSIGNMENT 1 MODULE 1 SHORT ANSWER PAPER Distinguish between good and bad arguments. Give the elements of ethical arguments. On what grounds do you distinguish between fact and mere opinion? An argument is a group of statements where one of which is supposed to be supported by the rest. The premise is the supporting statement and the conclusion is the statement being supported. Ethical arguments must have premise(s) and a conclusion and may appear in any order. Often arguments have indicator words that signal a premise or conclusion is near.There are two types of arguments, deductive and inductive and they can be valid or invalid, strong or weak, or sound or cogent. A good argument has a conclusion that is worthy and gives good reasons to accept a claim, where a bad argument fails to have a premise or conclusion or both. A true argument always has something to prove and presents good reasons to a claim. An argument is not the same thing as persuasion but if you express it correctly a nd prove something then you may be able to persuade people by reasoning and not by appealing to them via other methods.Good arguments have true premises and show its conclusion is worthy of belief, it also both must have the correct form by being either valid (having true premises that logically prove that the conclusion is also true) or strong (having premises that provide probable support for its conclusion). A bad argument proves nothing however it can still be persuasive. A bad argument can persuade someone by influencing them by any means besides reason.A bad argument has false premises that lead to false conclusions, these conclusions are called fallacies. Fallacies though wrong can be persuasive. There are nine different types of fallacies which all try to persuade by appealing to peopleââ¬â¢s emotions, using linguistic or rhetorical tricks, deception, threats, lack of evidence, using invalid citations and many other tricks. To check if a argument is bad you must learn dif ferent techniques, do research, and beware when there is conflicting evidence.To distinguish between fact and opinion in an argument you must check the form, the validity of the argument, and whether or not the premise has any truth. If something is a fact it is a statement or a claim that asserts that something is either true or false. Opinions are based on moral judgments, principles, and theories. Opinions also take into account feelings, desires, and beliefs. However in an argument both a fact and a opinion can be proven if the opinion has a good premise.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Ambitious leader
Not everyone Is capable of being an ambitious leader. Ambition Is an Intense desire for achievement or distinction. Some individuals are born with an inner motive that pushes them to find solutions. An ambitious leader is someone who is confident, open-minded, and has self-control. Confidence is an essential aspect when it comes to being an ambitious leader.You can teach an ambitious leader to be a mentor, problem solver, and a better communicator, yet without believing in themselves that leadership is nothing more Han Just a title. Ambitious leaders believe in themselves and the decisions they make which tend to lead to success. Many ambitious leaders are certain that they need to make confident decisions, follow them through and admit when they have made a mistake. The ability to keep an open mind Is an essential quality of ambitious leaders.When a leader Is open-minded they tend to be humble or flexible. An ambitious leader will have a habit of keeping an open mind as a way of all owing new and useful ideas to arise in whatever it is they are doing. Taking in new options being noninsured in that person's decision-making process is what makes an ambitious leader successful. Self-control is a significant aspect ambitious leaders have. Self-control involves managing one's emotions and urges in order to control inappropriate reactions and create energy in a positive way.Ambitious leaders stay calm and perceptive under high stress or during a crisis to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Self-control additionally requires mind-control. One thing ambitious leaders are certain of Is that they need to control their mind or It will end up controlling them, which leads to negative effects on one's leadership. An ambitious leader who demonstrates great self-control possesses a charisma that can encourage passionate devotion from his or her followers.Not everyone is capable of being an ambitious leader. Ambition is an intense The ability to keep an open mind is an esse ntial quality of ambitious leaders. When a leader is open-minded they tend to be humble or flexible. An ambitious additionally requires mind-control. One thing ambitious leaders are certain of is that they need to control their mind or it will end up controlling them, which leads to negative effects on one's leadership. An ambitious leader who demonstrates great.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
International Relations Theory and the Environmental Crises Research Paper
International Relations Theory and the Environmental Crises - Research Paper Example The main ecological challenges of the deterioration of the physical health of the environment are still not analyzed in the context of a full-fledged ecological crisis. Let us start analysing the critical situation of our physical environment through various warning signs that emanate from nature including the warming of global climate, thinning of the stratospheric ozone shield, accelerating loss of biodiversity, acidification of freshwater lakes, soil erosion, desertification, and many others (Laferriere & Stoett, 1999, p. 3), IR theorists have remained unable to concentrate on the upcoming environmental crises. The study of the environmental crises in relation to the IR can be initiated by understanding the notion that the underlying causes of ecological degradation are political and wherever they are not, are followed by the human consequences of natural disasters. Many theorists believe that such 'attacks on nature' indicates a commitment to material growth and state power, which requires the systematic control and use of human and non-human nature. Therefore IR theory tells us that 'Positivist' theories are most likely the ones to replicate IR epistemology and are aimed to a limited extent to consider the methods adopted by the natural sciences.This way we see that examining the congruence between realism and environmental crisis requires an appraisal of key realist assumptions and recommendations, and hence of their likely implications for the state of the world. The concept of security that is produced in the classic realist texts of the immediate post-war period is clearly dependent on the container schema. However, it is equally clear that the compelling nature of the realist discourse is dependent not on one single schema and derived metaphors, but on a densely interconnected network of schemas and metaphors which are not static but have their own inferential dynamics (Beer & Hariman, 1996, p. 209). That means realism supports all kinds of power seeking techniques inclusive of all weapons of mass destruction. If we analyze the environmental crisis in the light of Darwinian studies of evolution, it is clear that we would find a solid basis which supports both 'realist' theories of international relations and 'rational choice' approaches throughout the social sciences (Masters, 2004). IR policy suggests that if a policy is perceived as a strict response to international structure, it is to argue that there need be no direct connection between a realist perspective in international affairs and one's particular ideological affinity in the 'domestic' sphere. This has been a controversial argument made about Hobbes which represents either realism's greatest strength or its greatest weakness, depending on one's interpretation.
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Jury system of United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words
Jury system of United States - Essay Example As in the book "On the Grand Jury", the indication taken from "United States v. Calandra in 1974" that Supreme Court says about the jury system that its purpose is not only to investigate possible criminal conduct but also to act as a "protector of citizen against arbitrary and oppressive government action" and to perform this action jury "deliberates in secret and may determine alone the course of its inquiry". Though this is very much true that without thorough investigation the jury server are not intent to ensnare the crime with deserving prosecution or claiming them for their deeds or warranting the prosecutors for being innocent. Jurors are authorize to dismiss any person in the government incase if not serving the country sincerely. It's their duty to listen the person who is accused by the prosecutors and the person selected to be the government employee or brought in the country is secure from any inducement. Jurors are the first protectors of citizens and for the people who are accused by the law unconstitutionally. In an article by James W. Gilchrist, Jr. quoted the idea of juries in Virginia Colony is, "When the case was given to the jury, it was locked up without food or water until it reached a verdict. A juryman could not leave his fellows until a verdict was reached, which, as one writer noted, made prolonged disagreement practically unknown." Ans. Mangna Carta is a si... When the several jurisdictions to pass local Imperial Acts legislation came to consider which statutes to include as part of the received Imperial statute law of the jurisdiction, they all included Magna Carta. As several of these statutes are relatively recent, and all of them the product of 20th century consideration, they represent a judgment by law-makers that the linkage with Magna Carta should be maintained in contemporary law, even if only for sentimental rather than practical reasons. In the cases of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand, many of the problems of identifying the relevant chapters of Magna Carta that apply have been solved by local Imperial Acts legislation. In all cases the legislature has not only indicated which version of Magna Carta applies that enactment is part of the statute law of the jurisdiction. Nevertheless, there are some minor differences between these jurisdictions to be noticed, especially in the case of the Australian Capital Territory, where the relevant text of the 1297 statute includes the preamble. In New Zealand, while schedule1 of the Imperial Laws Application Act 1988 (NZ) only refers to chapter 29 of the statute of 1297, the version reprinted for reference in the Reprinted Statutes of New Zealand includes the preamble to Magna Carta 1297. It follows from such legislation that no other chapters in the version of 1297, and none of the provisions of any of the earlier versions of Magna Carta, are part of the law of the jurisdictions in which Imperial Acts legislation is in force. This has not, however, prevented consideration of the legal origins of ancient offices and show that the
LLM EC Competition law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
LLM EC Competition law - Essay Example Within the UK Articles 81 and 82 EC have been incorporated into the Competition Act 1998 (CA). The aim of these articles and the CA is to prohibit agreements, business practices and behaviors that have, or are intended to have, a damaging effect on competition in the UK (in the EU for the EC Articles).1 Article 81 prohibits any dealings that will distort competition within the EU, which includes any agreement from insider trading through to companies discriminating to supply goods or services on the basis of preferential businesses. The sale and supply of goods and services should be open to all members of the class that the company deals with. Also the sale of goods and services should be based on fair and open grounds, examples that the Office of Fair Trading and the EC use to illustrate anti-competitive agreements, in addition to cartels, include: The basis that the EC has used to identify what grounds are anti-competitive can arguably be determined as not economic, but more socially based. On economic grounds could such agreements as shown above not be a way to create a more competitive market, because if the present competitors agree to limit output does this not open the door for new businesses to open up in order for supply to meet the demand. Therefore it is questionable whether the current system of law is really dealing with what is economically competitive on economic grounds3. This is even more apparent with Article 82 EC, which deals with identifying what equates to abusive behavior by a company in respect to EC competition law. In order to be abusive under the company must be in a dominant position, which raises a question on the fairness of this article because if a company is not in a dominant position why is it not abusive This seems to be more of a social rather than an economic factor, because it means that if you are NOT a powerful and dominant company you can do as you wish.4 This illustrates that the grounds that EC law is determining on abuse in fact favors one sector of the economy over others, i.e. the underdogs. Is this not an abuse of competition law, because in certain instances dominant companies are a natural part of the industry's landscape, e.g. water, natural resources and fuel. This indicates that the current approach to determining a breach of competition law is in fact ironically a breach itself. The definition of dominance comes from the cases of United Brands5 and Hoffman-La Roche6 where the ECJ (European Court of Justice) defined the concept of dominance as: A position of economic strength enjoyed by an undertaking which enables it to prevent effective competition being maintained on the relevant market by affording it the power to behave to an appreciable extent independently of its competitors, customers and ultimately of its consumers.7 It is commendable that the ECJ indicates the need to protect the interests of the consumer; however is this determination on the basis of the economic grounds of
Monday, August 26, 2019
Substantive EU Law-Free Movement of Goods and Parallel Imports Essay
Substantive EU Law-Free Movement of Goods and Parallel Imports - Essay Example As a result, EU states will not impose any trade restriction on member states in relation to imports and exports of goods (Dedman 2010). Even after fifty years, the objectives of EU have not been achieved. The free movement of goods within the EU is still a complicated perspective. There are various hurdles which impede the free movement of goods in the European Union. The main hurdle among them is interpretating general provision of the technical barriers under Article 28 and 29 by the European Court of Justice (the ECJ). Another hurdle is related to the exceptions to the general provisions of Article 28 and 29 that is based on Article 30 and the mandatory requirements of Cassis de Dijon which is arising from the ECJ (Lelieveldt and Princen 2011). Furthermore, parallel import is one of the major phenomena in the international trade because on one hand, it follows market laws strictly and on the other, it is not completely controlled by the law. The dilemma is that producers want to maintain a difference in the prices of goods among different countries, whereas consumers want to pay same price. Here, parallel import can be defined as goods which are produced and sold legally and then exported. There is nothing illegal about the parallel imported goods but as native entrepreneurs sell same goods at higher price, they donââ¬â¢t like this completion. ... free movement of goods, services, capital and people. EUââ¬â¢s internal market is very favorable to increased competition, larger economies of scales and increased specialisation, hence factors of production and goods are freely moved in areas where they are highly valued. Free Movement of Goods One of the major principles of the European Unionââ¬â¢s internal market is free movement of goods. This principle deals with removal of national barriers to the free movement of goods within EU. In various fields, such barriers have been removed through harmonisation, like medical devices, vehicles, gas appliances, pharmaceuticals, metrology, chemicals, electrical equipments, construction products, toys, textiles, pressure equipments, footwear, and cosmetics. Excluding special circumstances, harmonisation of legislation and provisions of Articles 28 and 29 of the EC treaty control the member states in relation to imposing intra-community trade barriers. These articles can exercise direc t effect and applied by national courts (Pitiyasak 2010). Mutual recognition principle also leads its way through these provisions. It implies that if the sector is non-harmonised then goods which are legally marketed and accepted in another member state must be accepted by every member state. The application of this principle can only be challenged in some exceptional cases, like environmental issue, health and public safety. In such cases, even the derogatory measures are considered to control the free movement of goods (Andenas and Roth 2002). All measures along with Article 28 and Article 29 are having equivalent effect between the member states in relation to imposing quantitative restrictions on imports, exports and
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Ip2 team and leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Ip2 team and leadership - Research Paper Example Based on such a perspective, this paper develops a training guide by analyzing how different aspects affect management and leadership. A number of factors affect leadership and its effectiveness. Such aspects include personalities, values, attitudes, cognitive differences, emotions, and charisma among others. Personalities work to build trust and respect among individuals that one gets involved with others. Other aspects including attitudes, cognitive differences, and emotions enable one to understand how to work with others towards the achievement of other goals (Hawkins, 2011). Courage is a characteristic of leaders enabling them to be different from the norm, establish appropriate changes, and provide for new opportunities (Fisher, 2000). Together with morals, courage enhances the ability of an effective leader to tackle new life challenges without hurting them in any way in driving a particular agenda for the development of an organization. There are five sources of power, which every leader should possess, in order to provide effective leadership. Such include expert power involving a significant domain of knowledge and skills, positional power, as is the case of an organizational CEO, reward power, which works as an influence on the followers of a particular leader. Others include coercive power, the power required to effect discipline among the followers, and personal power that enables a leader to effect personal feeling towards the performance of an individual (Wu,
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Awareness of Identity Theft among Mature Students Essay
Awareness of Identity Theft among Mature Students - Essay Example They can then max out credit cards or take out loans using information they could have asked you for, taken from documents, or stolen from transactions online. This can lead to horrible problems for the person's identity whose is stole, as it can be a tedious task to try to track down the person who is pretending to be you. As student based marketing and research expands, so do the opportunities for people to steal all kinds of information from students who may not even know they are being tricked. Cases are especially springing up among college students, who fill out loads of paperwork and are also on their feet for the first time in their lives. The problem of identity theft is getting so bad that the "The United States Federal Trade Commission says that identity theft is America's largest consumer complaint" (http://www.scambusters.org/identitytheft/collegestudentsguide.html. These college students offer a prime target for the identity theft schemes. Students who are looking for loans, new credit cards, or are simply unaware of how to protect their personal information make for an easy candidate to get their identity stolen. Students also often do not know that identity theft can affect "your credit rating, criminal record, future borrowing possibilities, as well as your job opportunities (http://www.scambusters.org/identitytheft/collegestudentsguide.html). College st... 1. "Living on campus in dorms or with roommates. 2. Ordering clothes, books, movies, lava lamps, ping pong balls, or any other merchandise over the Internet. 3. Throwing away credit card offers without shredding them into a million pieces. 4. Being careless with student loan pin numbers and documentation. 5. Using cell phones to talk about things that might be useful for an identity thief to hear."( http://www.scambusters.org/identitytheft/collegestudentsguide.html. All of these seemingly innocent acts however leave students wide open for an invasion of privacy which may lead to the theft of their identity. This is why students are targeted by criminal organizations as prime targets for their schemes to steal people's identities. Only by understanding identity theft, and learning about it, can students hope to protect themselves from having their own identity stolen. Identity Theft Among Students I. Introduction to Identity Theft a. Definition of Identity Theft b. Kinds of Identity Theft c. Who is affected II. Identity Theft Among Students a. High School Students b. College Students III. How Identity Theft Works a. How thieves can steal your information b. Information they want to take from you IV. Way to Avoid Identity Theft a. How to protect your personal information b. How to know if your identity has been stolen V. What to do if your identity has been stolen a. First Response for identity Theft b. Don't Panic-You can get yourself back VI. Identity Theft-Inform others a. Other groups at risk b. How wide spread is identity Theft VII.
Friday, August 23, 2019
Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 21
Ethics - Essay Example The construction costs are greatly reduced in this plant. The effects of the same include use of cheaper controls from Lutz and Lutz, a decision not to line the evaporation ponds that would have prevented the leakage of hazardous substances into the groundwater, and a decision not to purchase pipes and connectors of high steel or high pressure alloy materials (Mandel & Martin, 2003). In the long run, the plan was not successful as leakages were experienced in the connections as well as failure to control the system automatically; thus, leading to the plan manager doing manual controls (Mandel & Martin, 2003). Worse still, the plant manager dies whilst manually controlling the plant. This case has various stakeholders that had vested interests in the outcome. First was the Phaust administration that wanted to introduce a product that would see to a tough competition with Chemitoilââ¬â¢s paint remover. Fred Martinez was yet another stakeholder who aimed at getting profits from selling off Chemitoilââ¬â¢s design to favor Phaust Chemical manufacturers (Mandel & Martin, 2003). Chuck, the vice president of Phaust is also a major stakeholder and plays a major role in advising Fred to cut down the construction costs of the new plant in Mexico. The new plant manager who dies during the manufacturing process is also a stakeholder as he agrees to control the manufacturing process manually as opposed to automatic control (Mandel & Martin, 2003). The personality types and communication techniques of the stakeholders clearly explain the motivation behind their decisions. Phaust administration was motivation py greed to maintain the markets as the major manufacturer of the major paint remover, and the need to compete with Chemitoil so as to prevent them from taking over the industry. Fred Martinez was motivated by the need to acquire money from Phaust as
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Health and Safety Gap Analysis Essay Example for Free
Health and Safety Gap Analysis Essay 1. GAP Analysis and GANT chart. This was a good start and gave us something to aim for. We have made some progress but not enough. It didnââ¬â¢t really tackle the serious issues and had a poor starting point in the GAP analysis (should have been a risk assessment). Many initiatives have failed due to poor information flow and management commitment. 2. Management buy-in Not enough support from all Managers at all levels. ââ¬Å"We are too busyâ⬠was a common phrase heard, IOSH guidance on Safety management systems states that ââ¬Å"Managers need to manage health and safety issues effectively, no matter how busy they are and whatever their workloadâ⬠. E.g., Kev too busy for training Alex all sorts of issues David very good No action on recommendations. Heath and safety is seen as a secondary business activity, not as a primary consideration. Everyone has suggestions to improve health and Safety at Barfoots but most are not willing to take action when required. Low attendance at the committee meetings, I feel as though they are a waste of time 3. Health and safety committee Nothing is ever sorted out as there is low attendance I would suggest forming a new committee formed by safety representatives from each area of the business. Safety reps would need training in health and safety and allowed time to discharge their duties. 4. My role Heath and safety management is not just about one person, but about the whole organisation working towards a common goal, ââ¬Ëthe reduction of accidents and incidentsââ¬â¢. At the moment all of this has been put on me. I sometimes feel confused as to what action to take next. Because people disregard actions I find it hard to keep track of what needs to be done. I am sometimes used as a backup because no one else is there at the time. IE water jug, signs, etc. What authority do I have? I need to spend more time on policy, organization and auditing than I do and less time on the daily management of the process. i. Fire procedures ii. Boom iii. Delivering and maintaining procedures iv. First aid v. Chasing up managers Not suitably qualified, NEBOSH 1-2 years à £2300- à £5000 We are now a multi site business growing rapidly. My skills need to grow with it. MHSWR 99 requires that every employer shall appoint one or more competent persons to assist and advise on health and safety. I nave taken advice which suggested that I should be qualified to NEBOSH level. Syllabus is based around the development and implementation of a OSHMS in a company. Potentially reduced costs in terms of outsourced services, Fire survey, noise survey etc. It will mean that I have accountability as written in my job description. Who do I report to and is that the right person? 5. OSHMS We set out with a list of goals and have achieved some but not others. The first goal should have been the establishment of a an OSHMS in order to create a structure to hang everything else off. There are a number of options for OSHMS all of them based on the Plan Do Check Act principle PDCA HSG65 BS 8800 OHSAS 18001 ILO HSG65 Is the HSEââ¬â¢s OSHMS and states ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ if you do follow the guidance you will normally be doing enough to comply with the lawâ⬠We can audit against an OSHMS and set performance targets.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
International Business, Economic Integration Essay Example for Free
International Business, Economic Integration Essay To begin with, the term economic integration can be defined as a procedure in which nations work together with one other in order to trim down or get rid of obstructions to the worldwide flow of goods, individual or resources (Dalimov, 2008) . The continuing paragraphs bring to light the advantages and disadvantages of economic integration. There exist a number of advantages associated with economic integration one of them is trade creation. By means of trade creation the members nations possess broader choice of products and provisions which were not earlier obtainable, can get hold of products and services at comparatively lesser price subsequent to trade barriers because of reduced tariffs or elimination of tariffs, motivate additional trade among associate nations as the steadiness of capital used up from low-priced products and services, could be brought to play so as to purchase extra goods and provisions. Apart from this, the other advantages include the fact that a group of countries could hold considerably better political authority as compared to every country would possess independently. Moreover, this amalgamation is perceived as a vital stratagem in order to deal with the upshots of disagreements and political unsteadiness that might influence the area. It is also considered to be a very constructive implement to deal with the economic and social challenges related to globalization. Further, as economic integration motivates trade emancipation and result in marketplace growth, extra savings into the nation and larger dissemination of know-how generates additional job prospects for individual to shift from one nation to other with the purpose to search employment or to get superior salary (Alesina et. al. , 1997). Moving ahead, one of the disadvantages associated with economic integration include trade diversion. Due to trade barriers, trade gets shifted from a non-associate nation to an associate nation in spite of the incompetence in price. For instance, a nation would have to bring to a halt trade along with less price produce located in a non-associate nation and deal with a producer located in an associate nation which include a superior price. In addition to this, other disadvantages encompass the fact that it could also augment trade barriers in opposition to non-affiliate nations. Furthermore, it needs associate nations to go without some extent of power with respect to chief procedures such as trade, financial and economic guidelines. Moreover, the greater the degree of incorporation, the higher the level of authorities that requires to be sacrificed chiefly in the situation of a political league economic amalgamation that calls for countries to sacrifice a large amount of independence. Small companies typically have difficulty competing against large multinationals when their governments take part in regional trade blocs. What could governments do to help their small companies compete after the formation of such blocs? Primarily, at the time when a countryââ¬â¢s government commits to taking part in a local trade bloc, there prevail a number of concerns that could grab hold of a number of small organizations off guard. A few of these concerns vary from incremented competition, shortfall of workers, and the incapability to acquire superior quality goods that were conventionally obtainable from non associate countries. Moreover, the function of the government entities in supporting organizations with such situation is considered to be rather complicated. The purpose of taking part in the provincial trade bloc is to augment trade that is by and large the flourishing upshot for the entire country. One of the advantages of such trade blocs is the lessening of government participation in trade. However, for government entities to offer help to its organizations could be a bit duplicitous for the bloc contract in case if it hinders trade in any manner with rest of the bloc affiliates. In the happening that an organizationââ¬â¢s proceeds are in danger through the introduction of products from a non- bloc associate, tariffs or import taxes could be made compulsory in order to bring down the level of competition. This will require to be synchronized with associate countries so as to make sure permanence. In addition to this, other means by which the government can assist is by trimming down the amount of imported products through quotas. Moreover, this will still permit a fraction of the products into the nation at the same time guaranteeing that organizations inside the nation or bloc could still try to win. The most useful method that the government entities can carry out for its small organizations that strive hard subsequent to the initiation of a trade bloc is to make sure that each and every short term finance matters are handled by establishing help provisions and most significantly, ensuring that edifying facilities inside the nation go along nationââ¬â¢s effectiveness by shoring up formulated plans and bringing about fresh plans in order to handle inadequacies as and when they occur. Moving ahead, a government requires keeping an eye on the way how contribution inside a trade bloc has influenced organizations insides its limitations, the minimum extent of government contribution may prove to be most appropriate. Further, the trade blocs are incessantly being modified by initiating trade with other nations with passing time. Lastly, several negotiations that a nation adopts in the short period so as to attempt to assist circumstances inside its limitations can have enduring impacts on nations which might desire to contribute inside the bloc in the upcoming times.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Media Essays Baudrillard Media Terrorism
Media Essays Baudrillard Media Terrorism Baudrillard Media Terrorism Discuss Baudrillardââ¬â¢s controversial contention that Western media have been complicit in terrorism. What does he mean and how convincing is his argument? Jean Baudrillard was an influential but highly controversial French Philosopher, Sociologist and cultural theorist. The ââ¬Å"prophet of the postmodern media spectacleâ⬠(Butterfield: 2002) best known for his work on contemporary social theory, the modes of mediation and technological communication (Kellner: 1994: 1), commenting in particular on AIDS, cloning, the first Gulf War and terrorism. Baudrillards writings and his almost confrontational view have led to him being fiercely criticised by many, giving him nicknames such as ââ¬Å"the high priest of post-modernismâ⬠(Gane: 1991: 47) and ââ¬Å"the David Bowie of Philosophyâ⬠(Merrin: 2005a: 5). His continual TV appearances, tours and newspaper coverage only reinforced his critics ââ¬Å"suspicion of his superficialityâ⬠(Merrin: 2005a: 6). Overall his theories were regarded as old hat up until 9/11 and the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks, where his writings on the matter once again put him in the spotlight, although not all agreed with what he has to say none could help but take note. Before I get into Baudrillards writings on terrorism it is important to outline some of his earlier works and theories, so you get a good scope of the mans thinkingââ¬â¢s and view of the world in which we live in. An important point, central to all Baudrillards theories is his concern over the importance of images within contemporary culture. He builds upon Platoââ¬â¢s allegory of the cave, in which he compares the worldââ¬â¢s population to cave dwellers, viewing false reality instead of absolute truth, in the form of shadows on the wall. Baudrillard takes inspiration from this idea, as well as the work of Lev Manovich, to come up with a theory which has been described as ââ¬Å"inverted Platonismâ⬠(Stam: 2000: 306). In ââ¬Å"Platoââ¬â¢s Caveâ⬠the cave dwellers, shackled to the wall, naively view the shadows cast on the back wall as actuality as they have never seen anything other than that, they never experience the absolute truth only the manufactured truth. Baudrillard takes this one step further though by ââ¬Å"denying the existence of any actuality or reality that may be revealedâ⬠(Plantinga: 1996: 307), arguing that there is no protocols now in place which can help us distinguish between appearances and reality. Baudrillard states that we are stuck in a postmodern ââ¬Å"hyper-realityâ⬠, where ââ¬Ëtruthââ¬â¢ is ââ¬Å"simply the latest media consensusâ⬠(Plantinga: 1996: 307). The televisions, images and mass media which have now replaced Platoââ¬â¢s cave wall have become a means not of informing and revealing truth but of taking part in the creation of the manufactured consensus which passes as truth and knowledge in the postmodern world (Plantinga: 1996: 307). The real has almost completely disappeared, with any glimmer of absolute truth over-shadowed by media simulation. In his book Simulacra and Simulation Baudrillard looks at the Westââ¬â¢s relationship between reality and images. He claims that modern society has replaced all reality and meaning with symbols and signs, and that humans are experiencing a simulation of reality rather than reality itself. This is an idea famously explored in the Wachowski brothers film The Matrix (1999), with the character Morpheus referring to the real world as the ââ¬Å"desert of the realâ⬠(Baudrillard: 1994: 1), a reference lifted straight from Baudrillards work. Baudrillard has since claimed in interview that The Matrix is nothing more than a misunderstanding of his work (Lancelin: 2004). The simulacra that Baudrillard refers to are signs of culture and media that creative the perceived reality, serving as a powerful form of ââ¬Å"social controlâ⬠(Baudrillard: 1993a: 60), and can be divided into four discreet semiotic stages. Before simulacra, in pre-modern societies signs are few in number and simply refer to and reflect reality. Their primary purpose is to reflect a divinely sanctioned hierarchy and social positioning (Barker: 1996: 50), rigid and firmly fixed in place. Religious paintings such as those of Jesus or the Virgin Mary are held to be true copies of a higher reality, which people can worship like they are the real thing, disregarding the fact that they are nothing but a replica. The so called First Order of Simulacra stretches through the 14th and 15th centuries, during the Renaissance period. Baudrillard states that during this counterfeit time we changed from being a limited order of signs, ââ¬Å"to a proliferation of signs according to demandâ⬠(1983: 85). As religious views and sanctioned hierarchy begin to fade, man-made copies of the real world start to be produced on mass. For the first time during this period we get signs splitting away from reality, the truth can be altered and changed to suit different purposed, creating false copies which are not representable. The third stage and Second Order of Simulacra came as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution, where advances in mechanical production in things such as cameras and printers radically changed the relationship between signs and the real. At this stage an ââ¬Å"industrial law of valueâ⬠(Smart: 1993: 52) reigns, where technological and mechanical reproduction come to constitute a new reality. The more these signs multiply, the more their relationship with the real is undermined. As Walter Benjamin once said images become the things themselves, absorbing ââ¬Å"the process of production, changing it finalities and altering the status of product and producerâ⬠(Baudrillard: 1983: 98). The reproductions dilute the experience of the unique image, they lose the special value associated with the unique and authentic, instead acquiring a much more abstract kind of value. Baudrillardââ¬â¢s Third Order of Simulacra is where we are at now. In our contemporary postmodern societies, images have floated free of reality, taking the processes of abstraction which took hold in industrial modernity to their extremes. As Baudrillard says ââ¬Å"one is not the simulacrum of which the other would be the real: there are only simulacraâ⬠(1994: 21). The copy has now become the real, with nothing authentic left behind the simulation. It is no longer possible to appeal to a real referent, as distinctions between representations and objects can no longer be sustained in a world where simulation models rule (Smart: 1993: 52). Baudrillardââ¬â¢s work explores the paradoxes of post-modern, simulation culture, stating that we have now got to a stage where the simulations merely refer to other simulations. As he sees it we can no longer experience anything outside the codes of simulation, the boundaries between signification and reality have imploded, so now all we can experience are representations of representations. According to Baudrillard reality has either disappeared or never existed in the first place. This death of reality has caused enormous panic amongst our post-modern culture as we attempt to nostalgically resurrect and retrieve the real. We find evidence of these attempts to search for authenticity everywhere, as Baudrillard says ââ¬Å"when the real is no longer what it used to be, nostalgia assumes it full meaningâ⬠(2001: 174). The rise of myths of origin, second-hand truth and objectivity, lead to an escalation of the true lived experience, which grows into a demand for things which are more and more real. Baudrillard defines this obsessing of the real as ââ¬Å"hyperrealityâ⬠(1995: 28), with it in fact taking us further away, rather than closer to the real. We as a postmodern culture never stop on our search for more reality, through things such as DVD deleted scenes and commentaries, and the watchings of documentary series such as Bodyshock and Extraordinary People, with their less than subtitle titles, we attempt to come closer with ââ¬Ërealityââ¬â¢, but once again we are just one step closer to a media fabrication. Baudrillards views reject those of traditional Marxist productivism, with him thinking they no longer offer an adequate explanation to postmodern situations. He has turned to theorists who look at formulating an alternative notion of economy and culture, based on observations of primitive societies, in particular the work of Georges Bataille. Batailleââ¬â¢s notion of the ââ¬Å"solar economyâ⬠(1997: 193) of excess and destruction argued that there is a more fundamental, primary form of economy which could be taken straight form primitive society. Baudrillard also studied the work of Marcel Mauss, with his theories on gift-giving. Mauss states that there was no ââ¬Å"pure expenditureâ⬠(Mauss: 2001: 98) without the expectation of a replicating ââ¬Å"counter-giftâ⬠(Mauss: 1998: 101). This ââ¬Å"symbolic exchangeâ⬠between gift and counter-gift becomes the law of the universe, the challenge to give. Baudrillard refers to the semiotic culture in which we live as ââ¬Å"the codeâ⬠(2001: 7), where control has been taken from the realm of decision-making. Where our Western binaristic semiotic culture rests largely on binary opposites, good and evil, life and death, etc, societies based on symbolic exchange do not. Everyday life deals with symbolic offerings of gifts to the dead, and they are expected to respond as a matter of obligation. I n western semiotic culture, our choices are defined in terms of yes/no decisions, binaristic regulations which displace real choice, pepsi or coke, Manchester United or Manchester City, for example. When Baudrillard refers to an event as symbolic he means that it is a gift, and thus demands a counter-gift in return, resulting in a challenge. 9/11 was the largest example of this symbolic challenge, and perhaps ââ¬Å"the most potent symbolic event since the crucifixion of Christâ⬠(Butterfield: 2002), where the terrorists gave a gift to the west in the form of terrorism, so there was no alternative than for the gift to be countered. Baudrillard stated that the erection of the twin towers ââ¬Å"signifies the end of competitionâ⬠(1993a: 69) and the monopoly of binary logic. Where before the Manhattan skyline had been filled with skyscrapers all competing with each other for our attention, the World Trade Centre with its two identical towers put an end to it, they where both the yes and the no. William Merrin says that Baudrillard is ââ¬Å"motivated by his belief in the radical presence and possibility of symbolic forces opposing, spiralling with and irrupting within the semiotic cultureâ⬠(2005b). His views have never differed from those that semiotic culture has never truly freed itself from older symbolic culture, with the symbolic operating within the semiotic. We need to break out of this yes/no culture and find the symbolic within and outside culture. For Baudrillard it is this outside culture, notably Islam, which threatens the Western semiotic system. Although his theory has been attacked as ââ¬Å"an imaginary construct which tries to seduce the world to become as theory wants it to beâ⬠(Kellner: 1989: 178), Baudrillard claims that the media itself creates many of the worlds events, and thus are actually ââ¬Ënon-eventsââ¬â¢ as they are creations of simulation. Things such as Reality TV and celebrity news create a large number of these hyperreal non-events, which just wouldnââ¬â¢t happen without the media. We as media consumerââ¬â¢s infact crave real events to happen, even going as far as to fantasize about them. Films such as Cloverfield, The Siege and Day After Tomorrow, show our secret fantasies of mass destruction and death, which creep into our mundane lives. With the rise of these non-events comes the rise of ââ¬Ëfateful eventsââ¬â¢, in the same way simulation triggers a quest for the real. The death of Princess Diana was the result of a media circus, reality TV which created both a non-event and a ââ¬Å"secret exhilarationâ⬠(Merrin: 2005b) In the same way as Dianaââ¬â¢s death, 9/11 was a non-event in the sense that it was experienced as a hyperreal image and embraced as a media event. The buildings where chosen as targets due to their media prominence, relating to films and previous fantasies of destructions. It was however also, as Baudrillard calls it, an ââ¬Å"absolute eventâ⬠(2003: 41) in that it testified to some secret symbolic sense of fate in Western culture. For Baudrillard ââ¬Å"in the end it was they who did it but we who wished itâ⬠(2003: 5), the terrorists where just ââ¬Å"pushing that which already wants to fallâ⬠(1993b: 209). Baudrillard sees this terrorism as being produced by the repression of the symbolic, with it returning, infiltrating and destroying us like a virus. The closer the western project of globalisation gets to perfection, the more we will see resistant symbolic challenges. Baudrillard says that the more cursed gifts of westernisation we give out the more countergifts we will receive in the form of sacrificial death. 9/11 is a paradox, Islamââ¬â¢s countergift to the west. The west has responded in the only way they know how, as a semiotic culture, by going to war. Although it was not as simple as yes/no, good/evil, this is how it was responded to, conceived in binary, systematic terms. As Baudrillard states ââ¬Å"if we hope to understand anything we will need to get beyond Good and Evilâ⬠(2002), this was much more than just a clash of civilisations; it was gift giving at its most destructive. Jean Baudrillard sets out to be provocative in his work, he wants to stand out and make people take not of him, even if itââ¬â¢s for all the wrong reasons. He describes himself as a ââ¬Å"terrorist and nihilist in theory as the others are with their weaponsâ⬠(1994: 163), noting that change must be brought upon our postmodern society, although not through means of violence. For Baudrillard it is our semiotic culture that have given rise to terrorism, through its imposing of our values on other cultures and mass media fantasization of our own destruction, so we must accept the returning gift of terror which comes with that. As Baudrillard says, the only thing which is not acceptable about terrorism is the violence behind it, ââ¬Å"theoretical violence, not truth, is the only recourse left to usâ⬠(1994: 163). Through his work he was trying to do what the terrorists where, just without killing anyone. Bibliography Barker, S., 1996. Signs of Change: Premodern, Modern, Postmodern. New York: SUNY Press Baudrillard, J., 1983. Simulations. New York: Semiotext(e) Baudrillard, J., 1993a. Symbolic Exchange and Death. London: Sage Baudrillard, J., 1993b. Baudrillard Live: Selected Interviews. London: Routledge Baudrillard, J., 1994. Simulacra and Simulation. Michigan: University of Michigan Press Baudrillard, J., 1995. America. London: Verso Baudrillard, J., 2001. Jean Baudrillard: Selected Writings. Stanford: Stanford University Press Baudrillard, J., 2002. Lââ¬â¢Espirit du Terrorisme. Trans. Donovan Hohn. Harperââ¬â¢s Magazine, February 2002. p.13-18 Baudrillard, J., 2003. The Spirit of Terrorism. London: Verso Botting, F. Wilson, S., 1997. Bataille: A Critical Reader. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Butterfield, B., 2002. The Baudrillardian Symbolic, 9/11, and the War of Good and Evil [ONLINE]. Postmodern Culture, 13.1 (September). Available at: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/postmodern_culture/v013/13.1butterfield.html [accessed: 12.03.08] Gane, M., 1991. Baudrillard: Critical and Fatal Theory. London: Routledge Keller, D., 1989. Jean Baudrillard: From Marxism to Postmodernism and Beyond. Stanford: Stanford UP Keller, D., 1994. Baudrillard: A Critical Reader. Oxford: Blackwell Lancelin, A., 2004. Le Nouvel Observateur with Baudrillard [ONLINE]. Le Nouvel Observateur. Available at: http://www.empyree.org/divers/Matrix-Baudrillard_english.html [accessed: 17.04.08] Mauss, M., 1998. Marcel Mauss: A Centenary Tribute. Oxford: Berghahn Books Mauss, M., 2001. The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies. New York: Routledge Merrin, W., 2005a. Baudrillard and the Media: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge: Polity Merrin, W., 2005b. Total Screen: 9/11 and the Gulf War Reloaded. International Journal of Baudrillard Studies, Volume 2, Number 2, July 2005 Plantinga, C., 1996. Moving Pictures and the Rhetoric of Nonfiction: Two Approaches. In Bordwell, D Carroll, N., Post-theory: Reconstructing Film Studies. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 307 Smart, B., 1993. Postmodernity. London: Routledge Stam, R., 2000. Film Theory: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell
Othello: How does it Measure Up? :: Othello essays
Othello: How does it Measure Up?à à à à à à The inconsistent ranking by critics of the Bard of Avonââ¬â¢s tragic play Othello is the subject matter of this essay. Letââ¬â¢s study the possible causes of this problem. à The ranking of this famous play is not cut and dried, totally clarified and undebated. A. C. Bradley, in his book of literary criticism, Shakespearean Tragedy, describes the equivocal ranking which some critics give this play: à Or is there a justification for the fact ââ¬â a fact it certainly is ââ¬â that some readers, while acknowledging, of course, the immense power of Othello, and even admitting that it is dramatically perhaps Shakespeareââ¬â¢s greatest triumph, still regard it with a certain distaste, or, at any rate, hardly allow it a place in their minds beside Hamlet, King Lear and Macbeth? (173-74) à To many of the audience, Othello would appear to have a beauty about it which is hard to match ââ¬â thus ranking the play high. Helen Gardner in ââ¬Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortuneâ⬠touches on this beauty which enables this play to stand above the other tragedies of the Bard: à Among the tragedies of Shakespeare Othello is supreme in one quality: beauty. Much of its poetry, in imagery, perfection of phrase, and steadiness of rhythm, soaring yet firm, enchants the sensuous imagination. This kind of beauty Othello shares with Romeo and Juliet and Antony and Cleopatra; it is a corollary of the theme which it shares with them. But Othello is also remarkable for another kind of beauty. Except for the trivial scene with the clown, all is immediately relevant to the central issue; no scene requires critical justification. The play has a rare intellectual beauty, satisfying the desire of the imagination for order and harmony between the parts and the whole. Finally, the play has intense moral beauty. It makes an immediate appeal to the moral imagination, in its presentation in the figure of Desdemona of a love which does not alter ââ¬Ëwhen it alteration findsââ¬â¢, but ââ¬Ëbears it out even to the edge of doomââ¬â¢. (139) à The play is so quotable; consider Desdemonaââ¬â¢s opening lines before the Council of Venice: ââ¬Å"My noble father, / I do perceive here a divided duty,â⬠or Othelloââ¬â¢s last words: ââ¬Å"Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.â⬠Could the continuing reputation of Othello be attributed to the quotable ââ¬Å"ultimate formâ⬠in which the Bard of Avon expressed his ideas?
Monday, August 19, 2019
Morality vs. Culture :: Free Essays
Is morality Relative to culture? This argumentââ¬â¢s foundation is the basic question on whether morality is relative to culture, or owns own desires. The pros of this argument are that we get to establish whether or not morality is a true sense of justice. As Melville J. Herskovitz indicates who is in favor of the cultural relativism notion, ââ¬Å"Morality is a diverse unique variation of codes and ethics threat arises from culture to culture, belief to belief.â⬠He argues that we cannot judge society based on its laws, and that we have to right to declare them inhumane. The proââ¬â¢s of his argument supporting cultural relativism are that we as a superior society in the United States need to respect the laws and traditions as what is deemed acceptable in other third world nations. After all he eluded, it was by force that Europeans imposed themselves upon African cultures. This serves as the basis for his argument. That we are in no right to judge simply because we live a different lifestyle and fear change. His opposition, Louis P. Pojman makes a great counter attack. He agrees with Herskovitz in that social morality does indeed differ from culture to culture, but that does not make them necessarily right. He continues his argument by accentuating that if conventional relativism is accepted, then racism genocide of unpopular minorities, oppression of the poor, slavery, and even the advocacy of war for its own sake are as equally moral as their opposites. I believe this is where Pojman solidifies his argument. ââ¬Å"Conventionalist relativism seems to reduce to subjectivism. And subjectivism leads, as we have seen, to the demise of morality altogether (Pojman).â⬠I cannot pinpoint a con on Pojmanââ¬â¢s argrument because he acknowledges the importance of ethical diversity, and he strongly recommends that we scrutinize the cultural relativism argument to find the many loopholes that the naked eye canââ¬â¢t see.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Acid Rain :: Free Essay Writer
Acid Rain à à à à à Acid rain forms when sulfur and nitrogen dioxides combine with moisture in the atmosphere to produce rain, snow, or another kind of precipitation. This kind of pollution may also be suspended in fog or deposited in a dry form. Acid rain is most common in North America and Europe. Acid rain has also been detected in other areas of the world such as tropical rain forests of Africa. Canada has placed limitations on the sulfur emissions. The United States has not, so the emissions may still drift into Canada. à à à à à The acid rain cycle begins with hundreds of power plants burning millions of tons of coal. Burning coal produces electricity for us. Coal is made of carbon, but the coal that we mine is not pure carbon. It is mixed with other minerals. Two of these are sulfur and nitrogen. Then the coal is burned some of the sulfur changes into sulfur dioxide and nitrogen changes into nitrogen oxide. These escape in to the air as poisonous gases. Some smokestacks release chemicals like mercury, arsenic, and aluminum. Some of these minerals are changed in to gases and others become tiny specks of ash. As these chemicals drift, they may change again. They may react with other chemicals in the air. When sulfur dioxide combines with water, the result is sulfuric acid. When nitrogen oxide gas combines with water, the result is also another acid. When the clouds releases rain or other precipitation, the acid goes with it. This is called acid rain. à à à à à The level of acid is measured in pH levels. The pH scale begins at 0 and ends with 14. A reading lower than 7 is called acidic, and a reading higher than 7 is called basic. Seven is neutral. Normal rain is slightly acidic with a pH level of about 6.5. Rain with a pH of 5.5 is then times more acidic than normal rain and rain with pH of 4.5 is a hundred times more acidic than normal rain. In parts of the country, rain with pH levels of 4.5 to 5.0 is common. à à à à à An English scientist named Robert Angus Smith discovered acid rain in 1872, but no other scientist continued this study. Then in 1961 the Sweden wanted to know why the fish in their lakes were dying. Svante Odà ©n discovered that the reason was acid rain. After Odà ©n's discovery, other scientist began to study acid rain too. à à à à à Acid rain has destroyed plant and animal life in lakes, damaged forests
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Economy contracts in fourth quarter Essay
This article is about the performance of Germanyââ¬â¢s economy in the coming year after being affected by the global economic crisis in 2009, and how GDP changes in relation to consumption, exports and also public deficit. Gross domestic product (GDP) is the value of all final goods and services produced within an economy annually; stagnation is when growth in the real GDP is negligible (less than 2-3%) and is sometimes used to describe low trading volume. Due to the global economic crisis, European countries cut their spending on domestic and foreign goods. Germany is affected since most of its goods are exported to Europe. Private consumption within Germany also decreased, dragging GDP down by 0.2% in the forth quarter of 2011. Since GDP is made up of householdââ¬â¢s consumption(C), firmsââ¬â¢ investments (I), governmentââ¬â¢s spending (G) and net export of a country (X-M) and is equal to aggregate demand (AD). So when C and (X-M) is reduced, AD for German goods shifts left to AD2, resulting in a decreased price level (P2) and real production at Q2. The diagram illustrates the AD and aggregate supply of German goods. Fig. (1) Decrease in GDP can also be shown in the business cycle, a diagram showing fluctuating levels of economic activity of an economy over a period of time. Currently, Germanyââ¬â¢s economy is in the recovery phase with stagnation, because Germanyââ¬â¢s economy is recovering from recession in 2009 with slow increase in GDP from 2010 to 2011, and its GDP is predicted to increase in the coming year. Germany is having slow economic growth after coming up from the trough. Yet, the German government successfully reduced its public deficitââ¬â amount of its budget expenditure exceeding the expected revenue, cutting fiscal deficit to real GDP ratio to 1 percent and indicating Germanyââ¬â¢s ability to pay back its debts has improved. It is because public deficit and national debt is directly related: public debt shrinks if government runs a budget surplus, or a decreased budget deficit. The German government can achieve a lower deficit to real GDP ratio by increasing taxation and decreasing government spending, which will reduce aggregate demand and real GDP. To resolve the problem of decreased exports and real GDP, the German government can employ expansionary fiscal policy to increase real output by increasing its expenditure and/or decreasing taxation. AD2 shifts to AD3 when the disposable income of people increases through reduced taxation and their buying ability improve; or government increases its expenditure. But this would increase public deficit, leaving Germany to either decreases public deficit or improves economic growth. Since it is a member of the Eurozone and its deficit to GDP ratio must be lower than 3% or it will face penalty, it seems rational to continue its efforts to reduce its deficit. Yet, because its debt-to-GDP ratio is quite low, an economic growth is more desirable such that the resulting deficits will be paid for by an expanded economy if expansionary policy is employed. Germany can also consider diversifying the market of its domestic products such that net exports increases, ensuring a stable export performance and reducing the effect of shocks from external demands. German producers can expand their market to some developing countries to their expand income sources. Emerging economies, such as India and China, are dependent on commodity products but also have the buying ability especially for goods with better quality. By increasing the competitiveness of their products, such as price and after-sales service, German firms can compete with producers from non-Europe region. In the long run, this method is more sustainable as there are no costs involved for the government so it will not be a burden to public deficit. But by spreading out the business risks across multiple markets, the impact of one marketââ¬â¢s major failure is less. Yet, market diversification comes with its difficulties as well such as understanding the cultural, regional differences or current problems in the potential market through researching, planning, marketing. This process costs highly and does not guarantee success in the new market. In conclusion, Germanyââ¬â¢s economy needs improvement on its economic growth and it is wise to achieve this by diversifying the market. Although it will take time and effort, it tackles the main problem of decreased exports and it is more sustainable than expansionary policy due to lesser cost and resources put in by the government. Source Article: Economy contracts in fourth quarter Agencies in Frankfurt Feb 25, 2012 Germany, Europeââ¬â¢s biggest economy, slashed its public deficit to set an example for debt-laden euro-zone economies last year ââ¬â but its economy also contracted, raising the spectre that the Greek crisis could drag the powerhouse into recession. The public deficit was cut to 1 per cent of gross domestic output in 2011 from 4.3 per cent in 2010, the first time since 2008 when the deficit ratio was below the 3 per cent limit set when the euro zone was established. However, The German economy also shrank 0.2 per cent in the fourth quarter on sagging exports and private consumption. Europeââ¬â¢s fiscal turmoil has forced governments and consumers across the 17-nation euro economy to rein in spending, damping demand for German goods in its biggest export market. Europeââ¬â¢s largest economy may avoid a recession, defined as two successive quarters of declining GDP. ââ¬Å"The German economy is in a soft patch that it is going to overcome,â⬠said Gerd Hassel, an economist at BHF Bank in Frankfurt. ââ¬Å"The fundamentals of the economy are different from countries like Spain and Italy. Theyââ¬â¢re basically sound.â⬠The GDP data published yesterday shows that the contraction in activity was mainly due to a 0.8 per cent drop in exports, traditionally the main driver of growth in Germanyââ¬â¢s economy. Economists now expect the economy to stagnate in the first quarter of this year, dodging the two quarters of negative growth which define a recession, before recovering from the second quarter. After emerging from the 2009 recession with a record 3.7 per cent growth in 2010 and 3 per cent growth last year, the Bundesbank predicts the German economy will expand 0.6 per cent this year. This is compared with Italyââ¬â¢s 1.3 per cent.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Civics essay
Kennedy once said, ââ¬Å"ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country'. These are wise words to live by, since every person has a civic duty that they owe to their country. All Americans owe so much to their society including; obeying the law, paying taxes, and making an effort to get a Job. The government puts laws In place to ensure that the society will run smoothly, and everyone owes It to the country to obey these ms. Laws are created only to, again, further better the society.They are there to keep everyone safe, as well as give people the rights that they deserve. It is not a difficult task asked of the people, and after everything the government and other people have done for you, you owe it to them and the country to follow these laws. Taxes are something disliked by everyone. No one in the world likes to pay an excess amount of money for something they feel is useless. Although, taxes are not useless, and every American owes it to their co untry to pay them.When someone pays taxes, the money Is given to the government and Is used for many different hinges to further better our society. These things Include sidewalks, paved roads, and even teachers. Sidewalks keep pedestrians safe, paved roads are better for cars, and teachers are there to educate the minds of the future adults of America. Without taxes, we would not be able to have so many things that better our country, so every American has a civic duty to keep up the goodness and pay their taxes. Many people today have been struck with the poor luck of being let go from their jobs which is understandable.Although, every American owes it too their country to make an effort to get one. Some people that are out of work make no attempt to get a new one, but they should. It is your civic duty to make a living and contribute to the economy. The government should not have to pay for someone to live when they are capable of doing so their self. Also, when people aren't wor king for their own money, that means that taxes are raised for other working Americans so the government can afford to keep people that are out of Jobs in a stable home.So, everyone should be able to and ray to contribute everything they can for the economy. Everyone owes something to their country, they Just need to know what they have to do. Citizens should be aware of the ways they can positively contribute to their society As well as obeying the law, paying taxes, and being employed, there are many more ways a person can better their country These ways include simple things such as volunteering and even voting. Everyone has a civic duty, and it is not a difficult task to perform for your country BY Dripping can do for your countryâ⬠.These are wise words to live by, since every person has a The government puts laws in place to ensure that the society will run smoothly, and everyone owes it to the country to obey these ms. Laws are created only to, pays taxes, the money is gi ven to the government and is used for many different things to further better our society. These things include sidewalks, paved roads, and today have been struck with the poor luck of being let go from their Jobs which is doing so their self. Also, when people aren't working for their own money, that means
Thursday, August 15, 2019
The Host Chapter 52: Separated
We brought our plunder in through the south vent, though this meant that the jeep would have to be moved before dawn. My main concern with using the bigger entrance was that the Seeker would hear the commotion our arrival was sure to cause. I wasn't sure if she had any idea of what I was going to do, and I didn't want to give her any reason to kill her host and herself. The story Jeb had told me about one of their captives-the man who had simply collapsed, leaving no external evidence on the outside of the havoc wreaked inside his skull-haunted my thoughts. The hospital was not empty. As I squeezed myself through the last tight bubble of space out into the main room, I found Doc preparing for the operation. His desk was laid out; on it, a propane lantern-the brightest illumination we had available-waited to be lit. The scalpels glinted in the duller blue light of the solar lamp. I had known that Doc would agree to my terms, but seeing him thus occupied sent a wave of nervous nausea through me. Or maybe it was just the memory of that other day that sickened me, the day I'd caught him with blood on his hands. ââ¬Å"You're back,â⬠he said with relief. I realized that he'd been worried about us, just as everyone worried when someone left the safety of the caves. ââ¬Å"We brought you a gift,â⬠Jared said as he pushed himself free behind me. He straightened up and reached back for a box. With a flourish, he held it up, displaying the label on the side. ââ¬Å"Heal!â⬠Doc crowed. ââ¬Å"How much did you get?â⬠ââ¬Å"Two cases. And we've found a much better way to renew our stores than to have Wanda stabbing herself.â⬠Doc did not laugh at Jared's joke. Instead he turned to stare at me piercingly. We both must have been thinking the same thing: Convenient, since Wanda won't be around. ââ¬Å"Did you get the cryotanks?â⬠he asked, more subdued. Jared noticed the look and the tension. He glanced at me, his expression impossible to read. ââ¬Å"Yes,â⬠I answered. ââ¬Å"Ten of them. It was all the car could hold.â⬠While I spoke, Jared yanked on the rope behind him. With a clatter of loose rock, the second box of Heal, followed by the tanks, tumbled onto the floor behind him. The tanks clanked like metal, though they were built of no element that existed on this planet. I'd told him it was fine to treat the empty cryotanks roughly; they were built to withstand much worse abuse than being tugged through a stone channel. They glinted on the floor now, looking shiny and pristine. Doc picked one up, freeing it from the rope, and turned it around in his hands. ââ¬Å"Ten?â⬠The number seemed to surprise him. Did he think it too many? Or not enough? ââ¬Å"Are they difficult to use?â⬠ââ¬Å"No. Extremely easy. I'll show you how.â⬠Doc nodded, his eyes examining the alien construction. I could feel Jared watching me, but I kept my eyes on Doc. ââ¬Å"What did Jeb, Brandt, and Aaron say?â⬠I asked. Doc looked up, locked his eyes on mine. ââ¬Å"They'reâ⬠¦ in agreement with your terms.â⬠I nodded, not convinced. ââ¬Å"I won't show you unless I believe that.â⬠ââ¬Å"That's fair.â⬠Jared glared at us, confused and frustrated. ââ¬Å"What did you tell him?â⬠Doc asked me, being cautious. ââ¬Å"Just that I was going to save the Seeker.â⬠I turned to look in Jared's general direction without meeting his gaze. ââ¬Å"Doc has promised me that if I show him how to perform the separation, you will give the released souls safe conduct to another life on another planet. No killing.â⬠Jared nodded thoughtfully, his eyes flickering back to Doc. ââ¬Å"I can agree to those terms. And I can make sure the others follow through. I assume you have a plan to get them off-planet?â⬠ââ¬Å"It will be no more dangerous than what we did tonight. Just the opposite-adding to the stack rather than taking from it.â⬠ââ¬Å"Okay.â⬠ââ¬Å"Did youâ⬠¦ have a time schedule in mind?â⬠Doc asked. He tried to sound nonchalant, but I could hear the eagerness behind his voice. He just wanted the answer that had eluded him for so long, I tried to tell myself. It wasn't that he was in a hurry to kill me. ââ¬Å"I have to take the jeep back-can you wait? I'd like to watch this.â⬠ââ¬Å"Sure, Jared,â⬠Doc agreed. ââ¬Å"Won't take me long,â⬠Jared promised as he shoved himself back into the vent. That I was sure of. It wouldn't take enough time at all. Doc and I did not speak until the sound of Jared's scrambling exit had faded. ââ¬Å"You didn't talk aboutâ⬠¦ Melanie?â⬠he asked softly. I shook my head. ââ¬Å"I think he sees where this is going. He must guess my plan.â⬠ââ¬Å"But not all of it. He won't allow -ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"He won't get a say,â⬠I interrupted severely. ââ¬Å"All or nothing, Doc.â⬠Doc sighed. After a moment of silence, he stretched and glanced toward the main exit. ââ¬Å"I'm going to go talk to Jeb, get things ready.â⬠He reached for a bottle on the table. The chloroform. I was sure the souls had something better to use. I would have to try to find it for Doc, before I was gone. ââ¬Å"Who knows about this?â⬠ââ¬Å"Still just Jeb, Aaron, and Brandt. They all want to watch.â⬠This didn't surprise me; Aaron and Brandt would be suspicious. ââ¬Å"Don't tell anyone else. Not tonight.â⬠Doc nodded, then he disappeared into the black corridor. I went to sit against the wall, as far from the prepared cot as I could get. I'd have my turn on top of it all too soon. Trying to think of something besides that grim fact, I realized that I hadn't heard from Melanie sinceâ⬠¦ When was the last time she'd spoken to me? When I'd made the deal with Doc? I was belatedly surprised that the sleeping arrangements by the jeep today had not elicited a reaction from her. Mel? No answer. It wasn't like before, so I didn't panic. I could definitely feel her there in my head, but she wasâ⬠¦ ignoring me? What was she doing? Mel? What's going on? No answer. Are you mad at me? I'm sorry about before, by the jeep. I didn't do anything, you know, so it's not really fair ââ¬â She interrupted me, exasperated. Oh, stop. I'm not mad at you. Leave me alone. Why won't you talk to me? No answer. I pushed a little harder, hoping to pick up the direction of her thoughts. She tried to keep me out, to put the wall in place, but it was too weak from disuse. I saw her plan. I tried to keep my mental tone even. Have you lost your mind? In a manner of speaking, she teased halfheartedly. You think that if you can make yourself disappear, that will stop me? What else can I do to stop you? If you've got a better idea, please share. I don't get it, Melanie. Don't you want them back? Don't you want to be with Jared again? With Jamie? She writhed, fighting the obviousness of the answer. Yes, butâ⬠¦ I can'tâ⬠¦ She took a moment to steady herself. I find myself unable to be the death of you, Wanda. I can't stand it. I saw the depth of her pain, and tears formed in my eyes. Love you too, Mel. But there's not room for the both of us here. In this body, in this cave, in their livesâ⬠¦ I disagree. Look, just stop trying to annihilate yourself, okay? Because if I think you can do it, I'll make Doc pull me out today. Or I'll tell Jared. Just imagine what he would do. I imagined it for her, smiling a little through my tears. Remember? He said no guarantees about what he would or wouldn't do to keep you here. I thought of those burning kisses in the hallâ⬠¦ thought of other kisses and other nights in her memory. My face warmed as I blushed. You fight dirty. You bet I do. I'm not giving up. You've been warned. No more silent treatment. We thought of other things then, things that didn't hurt. Like where we would send the Seeker. Mel was all for the Mists Planet after my story tonight, but I thought the Planet of the Flowers would be more fitting. There wasn't a mellower planet in the universe. The Seeker needed a nice long lifetime eating sunshine. We thought of my memories, the pretty ones. The ice castles and the night music and the colored suns. They were like fairytales to her. And she told me fairytales, too. Glass slippers, poisoned apples, mermaids who wanted to have soulsâ⬠¦ Of course, we didn't have time to tell many stories. They all returned together. Jared had come back through the main entrance. It had taken so very little time-perhaps he'd just driven the jeep around to the north side and hidden it under the overhang there. In a hurry. I heard their voices coming, subdued, serious, low, and knew from their tone that the Seeker was with them. Knew that the time had come for the first stage of my death. No. Pay attention. You're going to have to help them do this when I'm ââ¬â No! But she wasn't protesting my instruction, just the conclusion of my thought. Jared was the one who carried the Seeker into the room. He came first, the others behind. Aaron and Brandt both had the guns ready-in case she was only feigning unconsciousness, perhaps, and about to jump up and attack them with her tiny hands. Jeb and Doc came last, and I knew Jeb's canny eyes would be on my face. How much had he figured out already with his crazy, insightful shrewdness? I kept myself focused on the task at hand. Jared laid the Seeker's inert form on the cot with exceptional gentleness. This might have bothered me before, but now it touched me. I understood that he did this for me, wishing that he could have treated me this way in the beginning. ââ¬Å"Doc, where's the No Pain?â⬠ââ¬Å"I'll get it for you,â⬠he murmured. I stared at the Seeker's face while I waited, wondering what it would look like when her host was free. Would anything be left? Would the host be empty or would the rightful owner reassert herself? Would the face be less repugnant to me when another awareness looked out of those eyes? ââ¬Å"Here you go.â⬠Doc put the canister in my hand. ââ¬Å"Thanks.â⬠I pulled out one thin tissue square and handed the container back to him. I found myself reluctant to touch the Seeker, but I made my hands move swiftly and purposefully as I pulled her chin down and put the No Pain on her tongue. Her face was very small-it made my hands feel big. Her tiny size always threw me off. It seemed so inappropriate. I closed her mouth again. It was moist-the medicine would dissolve quickly. ââ¬Å"Jared, could you please roll her onto her stomach?â⬠I asked. He did as I asked-again, gently. Just then, the propane lantern flared to life. The cave was suddenly bright, almost like daylight. I glanced up instinctively and saw that Doc had covered the big holes in the roof with tarps to keep our light from escaping. He'd done a lot of preparation in our absence. It was very quiet. I could hear the Seeker breathing evenly in and out. I could hear the faster, tenser breathing of the men in the room with me. Someone shifted from one foot to the other, and sand ground against rock under his heel. Their stares had a physical weight on my skin. I swallowed, hoping I could keep my voice normal. ââ¬Å"Doc, I need Heal, Clean, Seal, and Smooth.â⬠ââ¬Å"Right here.â⬠I brushed the Seeker's coarse black hair out of the way, exposing the little pink line at the base of her skull. I stared at her olive tan skin and hesitated. ââ¬Å"Would you cut, Doc? I don'tâ⬠¦ I don't want to.â⬠ââ¬Å"No problem, Wanda.â⬠I saw only his hands as he came to stand across from me. He set a little row of white cylinders on the cot next to the Seeker's shoulder. The scalpel winked in the bright light, flashing across my face. ââ¬Å"Hold her hair out of the way.â⬠I used both hands to clear her neck. ââ¬Å"Wish I could scrub up,â⬠Doc muttered to himself, obviously feeling underprepared. ââ¬Å"It's not really necessary. We have Clean.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know.â⬠He sighed. What he really wanted was the routine, the mental cleansing that the old habits had given him. ââ¬Å"How much room do you need?â⬠he asked, hesitating with the point of the blade an inch from her skin. I could feel the heat of the other bodies behind me, squeezing in to get a better view. They were careful not to touch either of us. ââ¬Å"Just the length of the scar. That will be enough.â⬠This didn't seem like enough to him. ââ¬Å"You sure?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes. Oh, wait!â⬠Doc pulled back. I realized I was doing this all backward. I was no Healer. I wasn't cut out for this. My hands were shaking. I couldn't seem to look away from the Seeker's body. ââ¬Å"Jared, could you get one of those tanks for me?â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course.â⬠I heard him walk the few steps away, heard the dull, metallic clunk of the tank he chose knocking against the others. ââ¬Å"What now?â⬠ââ¬Å"There's a circle on top of the lid. Press it in.â⬠I heard the low hum of the cryotank as it powered on. The men muttered and shuffled their feet, moving away from it. ââ¬Å"Okay, on the side there should be a switchâ⬠¦ more like a dial, actually. Can you see it?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes.â⬠ââ¬Å"Spin it all the way down.â⬠ââ¬Å"Okay.â⬠ââ¬Å"What color is the light on top of the tank?â⬠ââ¬Å"It'sâ⬠¦ it's just turning from purple toâ⬠¦ bright blue. Light blue now.â⬠I took a deep breath. At least the tanks were functional. ââ¬Å"Great. Pop the lid and wait for me.â⬠ââ¬Å"How?â⬠ââ¬Å"Latch under the lip.â⬠ââ¬Å"Got it.â⬠I heard the click of the latch, and then the whir of the mechanism. ââ¬Å"It's cold!â⬠ââ¬Å"That's sort of the point.â⬠ââ¬Å"How does it work? What's the power source?â⬠I sighed. ââ¬Å"I knew the answers when I was a Spider. I don't understand it now. Doc, you can go ahead. I'm ready.â⬠ââ¬Å"Here we go,â⬠Doc whispered as he slid the blade of the scalpel deftly, almost gracefully, through the skin. Blood coursed down the side of her neck, pooling on the towel Doc had placed underneath. ââ¬Å"A tiny bit deeper. Just under the edge -ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Yes, I see.â⬠Doc was breathing fast, excited. Silver glinted out from the red. ââ¬Å"That's good. Now you hold the hair.â⬠Doc switched places with me in a smooth, swift movement. He was good at his Calling. He would have made quite a Healer. I didn't try to hide what I was doing from him. The movements were too minute for him to have any chance of seeing. He would not be able to do this until I explained. I slid one fingertip carefully along the back ridge of the tiny silver creature until my finger was almost entirely inserted into the hot opening at the base of the host body's neck. I traced my way to the anterior antennae, feeling the taut lines of the bound attachments stretched tight like harp strings into the deeper recesses of her head. I twisted my finger around the underside of the soul's body, caressing down from the first segment along the other line of attachments, as stiff and profuse as the bristles of a brush. I felt carefully at the juncture of these tight strings, at the tiny joints, no bigger than pinheads. I stroked my way about a third of the way down. I could have counted, but that would have taken a very long time. It would be the two hundred seventeenth connection, but there was another way to find it. There it was, the little ridge that made this joint just a bit bigger-a seed pearl rather than a pinhead. It was smooth under my fingertip. I pressed against it with gentle pressure, tenderly massaging. Kindness was always the way of the souls. Never violence. ââ¬Å"Relax,â⬠I breathed. And, though the soul could not hear me, it obeyed. The harp strings loosened, went slack. I could feel the slither as they retracted, feel the slight swelling of the body as it absorbed them. The process took no more than a few beats of my heart. I held my breath until I felt the soul undulate under my touch. Wriggling free. I let it twist itself a little farther out, and then I curled my fingers gently around the tiny, fragile body. I lifted it, silver and gleaming, wet with blood that was quickly shed from the smooth casing, and cradled it in my hand. It was beautiful. The soul whose name I'd never known billowed like a silver wave in my handâ⬠¦ a lovely feathered ribbon. I couldn't hate the Seeker in this form. An almost maternal love swept through me. ââ¬Å"Sleep well, little one,â⬠I whispered. I turned toward the faint hum of the cryotank, just to my left. Jared held it low and angled, so it was a simple matter for me to ease the soul into the shockingly cold air that gusted from the opening. I let it slide into the small space and then carefully relatched the lid. I took the cryotank from Jared, easing it rather than tugging it, turning it with care until it was vertical, and then I hugged it to my chest. The outside of the tank was the same temperature as the warm room. I cradled it to my body, protective as any mother. I looked back at the stranger on the table. Doc was already dust-ing Smooth over the sealed wound. We made a good team: one attending to the soul, the other to the body. Everyone was taken care of. Doc looked up at me, his eyes full of exhilaration and wonder. ââ¬Å"Amazing,â⬠he murmured. ââ¬Å"That was incredible.â⬠ââ¬Å"Good job,â⬠I whispered back. ââ¬Å"When do you think she'll wake up?â⬠Doc asked. ââ¬Å"That depends on how much chloroform she inhaled.â⬠ââ¬Å"Not much.â⬠ââ¬Å"And if she's still there. We'll have to wait and see.â⬠Before I could ask, Jared lifted the nameless woman tenderly from the cot, rolled her face-up, and laid her on another, cleaner resting place. This tenderness did not move me. This tenderness was for the human, for Melanieâ⬠¦ Doc went with him, checking her pulse, peeking under her lids. He shone a flashlight into her unconscious eyes and watched the pupils constrict. No light reflected back to blind him. He and Jared exchanged a long glance. ââ¬Å"She really did it,â⬠Jared said, his voice low. ââ¬Å"Yes,â⬠Doc agreed. I didn't hear Jeb sidle up next to me. ââ¬Å"Pretty slick, kid,â⬠he murmured. I shrugged. ââ¬Å"Feeling a smidge conflicted?â⬠I didn't answer. ââ¬Å"Yeah. Me, too, hon. Me, too.â⬠Aaron and Brandt were talking behind me, their voices rising with excitement, answering each other's thoughts before the questions were spoken. No conflict there. ââ¬Å"Wait till the others hear!â⬠ââ¬Å"Think of the -ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"We should go get some -ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Right now, I'm ready -ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Hold up,â⬠Jeb cut Brandt off. ââ¬Å"No soul snatching until that cryotank is safely on its way into outer space. Right, Wanda?â⬠ââ¬Å"Right,â⬠I agreed in a firmer voice, hugging the tank tighter to my chest. Brandt and Aaron exchanged sour glances. I was going to need more allies. Jared and Jeb and Doc were only three, though certainly the most influential three here. Still, they would need support. I knew what this meant. It meant talking to Ian. Others, too, of course, but Ian would have to be one of them. My heart seemed to slump lower in my chest, to curl limply in on itself. I'd done many things I had not wanted to do since joining the humans, but I couldn't remember any this sharply and pointedly painful. Even deciding to trade my life for the Seeker's-that was a huge, vast hurt, a wide field of ache, but it was almost manageable because it was so tied up in the bigger picture. Telling Ian goodbye was a razor-sharp piercing; it made the greater vision hard to see. I wished there was some way, any way, to save him from the same pain. There wasn't. The only thing worse would be telling Jared goodbye. That one would burn and fester. Because he wouldn't feel pain. His joy would far outweigh any small regret he might feel over me. As for Jamie, well, I wasn't planning on facing that goodbye at all. ââ¬Å"Wanda!â⬠Doc's voice was sharp. I hurried to the bed Doc was hovering over. Before I got there, I could see the tiny olive hand fisting and unfisting where it hung over the edge of the cot. ââ¬Å"Ah,â⬠the Seeker's familiar voice moaned from the human body. ââ¬Å"Ah.â⬠The room went utterly silent. Everyone looked at me, as if I were the expert on humans. I elbowed Doc, my hands still wrapped around the tank. ââ¬Å"Talk to her,â⬠I whispered. ââ¬Å"Umâ⬠¦ Hello? Can you hear meâ⬠¦ miss? You're safe now. Do you understand me?â⬠ââ¬Å"Ah,â⬠she groaned. Her eyes fluttered open, focused quickly on Doc's face. There was no discomfort in her expression-the No Pain would be making her feel wonderful, of course. Her eyes were onyx black. They darted around the room until she found me, and recognition was quickly followed by a scowl. She looked away, back to Doc. ââ¬Å"Well, it feels good to have my head back,â⬠she said in a loud, clear voice. ââ¬Å"Thanks.ââ¬
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Project management approaches for dynamic environments Essay
This paper sets out to investigate the nature of projectsà conducted in fast changing environments. Examples andà theory are used to illustrate the nature and challenges ofà this category. Suitable management approaches are identiï ¬ ed under the following headings: Planning, Experimentation, Lifecycle, Controls, Culture, Communication, and Leadership style. The dynamic project category.à The paper closes with recommendations for furtherà research. In this paper, control is taken to mean the mechanisms throughà which resources are managed to achieve objectives [1], and is diï ¬â¬erent to the PMBOK ââ¬Ëtechniqueââ¬â¢ [2] which is strictly focused on bringing activities in line with a plan [3]. The term dynamic is taken to mean characterised by constant change [4]. In the project management context dynamism is taken to be a dimension of a projectà that represents the extent to which a project is inï ¬âuenced by changes in the environment in which it is conducted. This paper argues that this is a non-binary dimension thatà applies in varying degrees to all projects, so strictly anyà given project is neither ââ¬Ëdynamicââ¬â¢ nor ââ¬Ënot dynamicââ¬â¢. All projects have some degree of dynamism, so the dimensionà is not dichotomic. Therefore, the ideas in this paper may be applied in varying degrees to any project as deemed appropriate. For the sake of simplicity though, for the remainder of this paper, a dynamic project is taken to be one that isà necessarily subject to higher than normal levels of changeà due to the environment in which it is conducted. The business environment is changing at an increasingà pace [5ââ¬â7]. Rothwell and Zegveld [8] went so far as to say we are in the midst of a technology explosion. They arguedà that 90% of our technical knowledge has been generated inà the last 55 years, and that technical knowledge will continue to increase exponentially. Perrino and Tipping [9] reportedà ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëthe pace of technology is accelerating, raising the stakes and risks forà managing innovation, and requiring earlyà warning and shorter response timeâ⬠. Change, in all formsà of technology and business processes, can be regarded asà increasingly pervasive and providing challenges even where high technology is not a core business, such as in miningà [10]. Consider how the Australian Submarine project wasà challenged by developments in the IT industry betweenà the 1980s design phase, and sea trials decades later [7].à This paper will now investigate dynamic projects from aà theoretical point of view. Gray and Larson [11] argued that à Pich, Loch and De Meyer [12] describe a type of projectà that encounters unknown unknowns and how it is best suited to what they called a ââ¬Ëlearningââ¬â¢ strategy which involves scanning, problem solving and ï ¬âexibility. They argue thatà this is distinct from projects conducted in well understoodà environments which are suited to ââ¬Ëinstructionismââ¬â¢, and distinct fromà ââ¬Ëselectionismââ¬â¢ where the most fruitful initiative is chosen after a pool of trials. Turner and Cochran [13]à espouse the ââ¬Ëgoals and methods matrixââ¬â¢ that describes four diï ¬â¬erent types of project according to how well deï ¬ ned the methods and goals are. Projects can have poorly deï ¬ nedà goals (ââ¬Ëï ¬ reââ¬â¢) or poorly deï ¬ ned methods (ââ¬Ëwaterââ¬â¢), or both (ââ¬Ëairââ¬â¢).à Shenhar and Wideman [14] describe a type of project that involves high levels of uncertainty, using technologies together for the ï ¬ rst time. They call these ââ¬Ëhigh techââ¬â¢ [14]. They also describe a type of project that actually createsà new technologies, called ââ¬Ësuper high techââ¬â¢. Shenhar [15] describes how ââ¬Ëlow technologyââ¬â¢ projects are typically performed in construction, production and utilities, and high technology projects in the computer, aerospace and electronics industries. He oï ¬â¬ers building and bridge construction as examples of low technology projects. The key diï ¬â¬erence to Shenhar is the level of development workà involved, in that low technology projects have little, and high technology projects have considerable levels and usually require prototyping. Shenhar and Wideman [14] argue that another key diï ¬â¬erence is the number of designà cycles. In low technology projects they say there is typically only one cycle with a freeze before development, and with high technology there are at least two, typicallyà three cycles. Operationalà workà Cioï ¬Æ' [16] suggests that ââ¬Ëprojectsââ¬â¢ be placed on a spectrum of ââ¬Ënewnessââ¬â¢ from operational to project. The idea has been adapted in Fig. 1 to illustrate the sliding scaleà of unknowns that applies to projects. Unknowns in thisà sense refer to any aspect of the project, including the methods to achieve it, the objective, and the environment it has to operate in. The guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) [2] describesà ââ¬Ëprogressive elaborationââ¬â¢, where planning is developed in greater detail as the project progresses. Using progressive elaboration to ï ¬ ll knowledge gaps, it might be possible to move a project to the left inà Fig. 1, thereby achieving the objective in a more predictable fashion. However, rapid changes in the environment, including tools and methods, and attempts to innovate,à act to push the project to the right, increasing unknowns.à The two forces of exploration and change act against eachà other continuously throughout the project. The challenge is to conduct exploration at a greater rate than the emergenceà of environmental change. It is also important to ensure that the amount of change created by the exploration andà implementation is not counterproductive overall. An example of Project A in Fig. 1 might be a production line where there only variable is the colour required. à The intention here is to review literature to provide aà broad overview of approaches that might be used to betterà deal with dynamic environments. Approaches were broken down as follows:
Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 13
Research Paper Example One long term goal of therapy is minimization of death or mortality. Death often occurs when a heart-related complication arises. Strokes and heart disease ought to be kept at bay. Another long-term goal of this treatment plan is to decrease complications at the macro and micro vascular levels. Peripheral vascular disease, stroke and heart disease are macro vascular while retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy are micro vascular complications. Short term goals for treatment include control and monitoring of blood glucose by the patient. Ellen should strive to have at least 50% of her glucose levels within the target range. Tight glycemic control is necessary in order to minimize the onset of micro vascular complications. Glycohemoglobin ought to be monitored within the patient. Sometimes, the oxygen transporter in the blood may combine with glucose inside the blood to lead to the latter condition. This reaction is relatively common in all humans; however, extreme cases may be detrimental to a diabetic patientââ¬â¢s well-being. The aim of therapy is to keep these quantities below 7%. If the patient consumes food with high carbohydrates, then it is likely that her glycohemoglobin will be high. The component of blood that carries oxygen will continue to combine with glucose if blood sugar levels are persistently elevated. A test designed to measure this element can assist Ellen in determining how well she is controlling her diabetes. Therefore, the patient ought to carry out this test after three months. Frequency of testing can be reduced once the patient has mastered glucose levels for over a year (Melmed et. al., 2011). Another short term goal of therapy is to minimize incidences of hypoglycemia. Usually, hypoglycemia results when blood glucose levels are less than 60mg/dl for those without symptoms and less than 70mg/dl for those with symptoms of hypoglycemia (American Diabetes Association, 2013). Hypoglycemia arises when the
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