Monday, September 30, 2019

Benefits of Traditional Foods Essay

1. Contain fewer chemicals Traditional food traditional food is no chemicals food. 2. Health benefits Many traditional foods are beneficial to health. Example: the sweets or pickles made of fruits and vegetables. 3. Nutritious Indonesian traditional foods contain a lot of good nutrition and nutrients that good for health. Like rendang from West Sumatera, made from meat containing proteins. 4. Made from natural ingredients Indonesian traditional food made from ingredients that highly nutritious, healthy, and safe. Like artificial colorings made from pandan leaves. 5. According to the taste of Indonesian society Indonesian traditional food accordance of the public taste. So it is believed to have good potential to be developed. 6. Cheaper Indonesian traditional foods are cheaper than foreign foods. 7. Easier to find Indonesian traditional foods are available and easier to find. Like the sale of souvenirs and traditional local markets. 8. Creates jobs Another positive economic effect of a more locally-based food system is shown by creation of new jobs and small businesses. 9. Economic progress One advantage of local food is not talked about much but should be since it has tremendous potential to bring about positive change in communities all over the industrialized world. This is the economic impact of shifting to a more locally-based diet. Since every household in every community spends a significant chunk of money on food, the impact on the local economy of shifting even a portion of the expenditures to local items can be quite large. 10. Economic benefits The existence of economic ( forward or backward linkages) profits in line with more options and variety of food from traditional food product, imported and the combination of both Indonesian and foreign food. So it can also be introduced to foreign markets.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Maupassant’s Use of Setting in The Necklace Essay

In the story The Necklace, Guy De Maupassant uses the settings to further heighten the dramatic effect of the change in the character of Mathilde Loisel. At the various stages of Mathilde’s character’s transformation, the setting complements to reflect her actions and emotions. At the start of the story, Mathilde is depicted as having accepted her lot, knowing she has beauty but that her station in life granted her nothing more than a life married to a clerk. She still daydreams of luxurious parlors and exquisite food as she moves around her own home with its simple furniture. The Mathilde depicted here is a girl who still has fantasies of escaping her present situation, and Maupassant’s juxtaposition of the images of the lavish setting with the vestibules with Oriental trapestries and large parlors adorned with olden silk with Mathilde’s dreary reality of worn walls and abraded chairs strike a strong contrast between her desires and her inescapable circumstance. When Mathilde went to the party, she was changed – she became truly the girl that she was meant to be, desired and sought after, in a place she felt she belonged. Although Maupassant did not detail it, the reader can imagine extravagant ornaments, crystal chandeliers, and blatant affluence everywhere, lifting Mathilde’s spirits up as her dreams came true: that night she was Cinderella at the ball. But she knew it was a dream, because the other women had furs and she had wraps that spoke of her true station in life. And to bring her feet back on the ground, when she got back home – to the dreary place seemingly more dreary now after all the glamour of the mansion – she discovers she lost the necklace. Their home full of wanting etched its emptiness even more with the realization that she was missing something very valuable, something that was worth more than anything she has. And then, she comes to accept reality – she cannot afford the luxurious life, and because of her whims and fantasies she has cost them a fortune they did not have in the first place. To make up for her behavior, she threw herself to work – her pink nails scrubbed themselves hard in the kitchens where it was dirty with greasy pans and dark-bottomed pans. Here we see Mathilde’s descent – she came into terms with her social status and acted like it. She no longer fancied herself a woman out of place meant for better things, above the needy and the poor common people. They left their house and stayed at the attic; she went to the market and threw water on streets. In the kitchen, in the market, in the attic, she became one of them. And finally, when they have repaid all their debts because of the necklace, we find Mathilde walking at the Champs Elysà ©es for leisure after a week’s hard labor, triumphant because now she is a free woman. The Champs Elysà ©es is hailed the most beautiful avenue in the world, and it is only fitting that Mathilde meet her old friend here. She was no longer the beauty that she was, she was no longer desirable nor recognizable, but she gained a new beauty within: she was her own woman now, strengthened by hard life, and with a firm grasp of reality and newfound pride having paid her dues. And with that pride she went up to her old friend, the same moneyed lady from before. Mathilde stood out in the luxury of Champ Elysà ©es’s beauty, and yet momentarily we saw her transformed again because after all these years of hard work, it was still her foolishness and pride that cost her own beauty and charm. But more than anything, it felt that she belonged there amidst all that glory, because after working herself to that state of being one of the poor as she saw them, as one all her hard work has gained her the richness that she always dreamed of in her younger days.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Company valuation is an art not a science Essay

Company valuation is an art not a science - Essay Example There are several rationales for mergers. Companies undertake M/A because of (a) synergy created by operating and financial economies, differential efficiency, or increased market power; (b) tax considerations; (c) purchase of assets below their replacement cost; and (d) diversification, not to mention possible managers’ personal incentives. For any of the four economic reasons mentioned, the M/A is successfully undertaken only if the resultant post-M/A firm attains a value greater than sum of the two separate firms (Brigham and House, 2004, p.796-798). A M/A is necessarily a sale or exchange, which means that the determination of company values is a requisite. There are various methods of valuation that may be undertaking for the purpose of M/A. These include assessing the target or merging companies’ book value, economic value, replacement value, and break-up value. The book value is the accounting value, that is, the net amount of the company’s total assets less total liabilities; the per-share value is arrived at by dividing this net amount by the number of common shares. As conveyed by its definition, the book value of a company is a straightforward valuation method based on historical transaction costs. The dividend-discount model, the most popular equity valuation method to determine the worth of the firm to the shareholders, is equal to the present value of all future cash dividends. This would prove useful to a company contemplating a financial merger that did not involve unifying operations. The target company is expected to conduct its business in the same way it has before the merger or acquisition, and the acquiring company expects to benefit in the nature of a majority stockholder (Helfert, 2003, pp. 390). The replacement or reproduction value is the amount that would be required to replace an existing fixed asset in kind. Replacement value is one

Friday, September 27, 2019

Perceived Stress for Middle School Principals Essay

Perceived Stress for Middle School Principals - Essay Example eform movement was unlike any previous laws enacted in the past, and it literally reshaped the traditional school system that had been a mainstay of American culture for well over two centuries. President Bush actually drew upon his various experiences as governor of Texas in helping to draft the No Child Left Behind Act. This particular reform movement carried many similarities to legislation passed in the Texas during the 1990s, only now to implemented on a national scale (Debray, 2005). Upon coming into office, the Bush administration quickly set forth an ambitious educational reform agenda and, by 2001, it was already evident that legislation would be drafted that would be unlike any previous attempts at educational reform made by other Presidents before him (Sunderman, 2005). During this time, is also became well known that certain provisions within NCLB itself would be completely new to professional educators and the public alike. This included the provision for state mandated testing, the frequency with which such exams would be required, and the disciplines that the tests would encompass. The legislation also mandated a strict focus on improving scores in the areas of mathematics and reading, as well as setting aside funding and penalties for thousands of schools almost immediately upon the signing of the actual legislation (Sunderman & Kim, 2005). One area that quickly became a target was local school districts. They were required to give up control over the student assessment process in deference to new federal guidelines and procedures. The No Child Left Behind Act went so far as to require respective state in the Union to design their own exams and then administer them to every eligible child within their fold. For really the first time in the history of America, this particular reform effort mandated academic improvement as a matter of law, and not just principle (Orefield, 2005). In reality, this quickly became a regulatory issue, as

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Competition in Energy Drinks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Competition in Energy Drinks - Essay Example In essence, the Porter’s five theory comprise of five forces namely: existing competitive rivalry between suppliers, threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, power of suppliers and the threat of substitute products with the inclusion of technological change (Orcullo 48). Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks and Vitamin Enhanced Beverages United States is one of the countries that serves the market for drink such as energy, sports drinks and vitamin enhanced beverages. Apparently, energy drinks are consumed by young people who want to increase their healthy levels. On the other hand, the sport drinks are mostly consumed by people who constantly watch their fitness and those who engage in sporting activities. In the same way, vitamin enhanced beverages are mostly consumed by adults especially those that have varying health issues (Bangs and Henricks 226). Some of the companies that are involved in the production of these alternative beverages include Coca cola Company, Pepsi Company and the Red Bull GmbH among others. ...It is worth mentioning that most people have opted to consume alterative drinks as opposed to carbonated drinks. This in turn has translated to an increase in the demand for the alternative drinks as compared to other drinks in the market. In response to this, the Coca cola Company and the Pepsi Company have gradually increased their production of alternative beverages. For instance, there has been extension of product line and the development of new products which moves in to capture the demand from buyers (Gamble 77). The Threat of Substitute Product It is often argued that any competition is endangered if there is presence of substitute products in the market (Orcullo 50). Although, Coca cola Company and the Pepsi Company are ancient in the world in regard to production of soft drinks and the gradual production of alternative beverages, other companies such as Red Bull GmbH have come up with substitute drinks with vary ing prices. As a result, buyers have options while purchasing such drinks making the market extremely competitive. The Threat of Supplier Bargaining Power In the same way, the bargaining power of Suppliers is very crucial in any market. In essence, the power depends on issues such as degree of differentiation of inputs, cost of inputs in relation to selling prices of the product, and the presence of substitute products (Bangs and Henricks 226).

God In The Jewish Tradition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

God In The Jewish Tradition - Essay Example Clearly, the meaning of God is one that is uniquely personal to each and every person. Only the individual can decide what God means to them which is based to a great degree on the individual's values and personal beliefs. The role that God plays in that individual's life and religion will be strongly based on these subjective assessments, but it will also be strongly influenced by the teachings of the synagogue, the rabbi, and the traditions that the individual experienced as they grew. In many tales of the Jewish faith, it was God who helped keep the Israelites alive throughout all their various persecutions through history, creating a type of human-like heroic identity. It was God who led them out of Israel and slavery and it was God who spoke to them through burning bushes and from mountaintops while they wandered in the desert, giving them help and direction. Mordecai Kaplan, known as the father of Reconstructionism, who pushed this type of identification of God. In his writings , he said that God chose the Jews and determined to help them with their success (Kaplan, 1937). However, Kaplan was not necessarily suggesting that God was a personality. Instead, he was attempting to say that God was something greater than this. He said, â€Å"God is neither a being nor a philosophical abstraction. God is a creative force in the universe. He was an inspiration for the Jews and the voice that gave with both hands" (1937). Even here, though, God seems to be a greater than normal personality.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Women in Islam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women in Islam - Assignment Example The hijab has become common in the Muslim world and frequently worn conceitedly by the university and college girls as a sign of Islamic identity, liberating them symbolically from western cultural domination and imperialism (Kusha, 2011). Â  In addition, the traditional Muslim culture of male occupational dominance has also changed, and currently, Muslim women hold various positions in the workplaces. The culture of men as the breadwinners does no longer exist, and women raise their children and feed the household just as men. Another important change in the Muslim culture to satisfy the needs of modern women is in marriage. Traditionally, all Muslim marriages were arranged, and women had no say, but in the modern one, women are cherished and treated well. In fact, the mistreatment and beating of women are something of the past in the Muslim marriage. Â  In summary, the Muslim culture has transformed to include the needs of women in the modern society, but there is need to address the miss-emphasis and misrepresentation in Islam. The Muslim leaders should continue to address the problem of gender relations within the Muslim communities and outside to correct the gender imbalances.

Monday, September 23, 2019

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Essay Example nd discussion will be useful with respect to convincing the information provided within the text and appropriately/accurately engaging it within everyday life. The first of these 7 habits that are discussed within the effects is that of being proactive. Ultimately, this is simplistic goal is one which is almost each and every individual can utilize within the course of their daily lives. For instance, by analyzing situations, understanding their determinants, and anticipating potential outcomes, be proactive individual will be more suited to maximizing their gains and situating themselves in a favorable position; regardless of the situation in question. Habits two and three are closely linked. Number two focuses upon the need to began with the end in mind. Accordingly, habit number 3 is contingent upon prioritizing goals and putting first things first. As the reader can accurately denote, both of these two habits can easily be applied within the life of the individual merely by taking time to consider the outcomes of key situations and planning the approach that would maximize their own best interests to the higher degree. Habit 4 encourages the individual to think of the â€Å"win-win†. The application that this has is for the individual to break free of the zero sum game attitude that is so oftentimes part and parcel of the way that individuals engage with situations throughout their lives. However, by understanding an problem or issue outside of the terms of personal gain or benefit, analyzing it from different perspectives can be highly beneficial in terms of creating a degree of benefit for all parties involved. Further, habit 5 was concentric upon listening prior to coming forward with potential solutions or means of integrating with a particular issue. From a personal perspective, this habit was perhaps the most beneficial to this particular student; due in part to the fact that my proactive nature oftentimes leads me to seek an immediate fix to a

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Part of a Marketing Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Part of a Marketing Plan - Assignment Example Cotton On is one of the few organically Australian ready-to-wear (RTW) fashion label. Fairly young in the industry at less than 30 years old, they now have shops all over Australia, New Zealand, and America. It has uniquely mirrored the same image that Australia has project all over the world, relax, simple and comfortable. Its primary target is the youth, 15-30, who feels wants a simple no-nonsense style that is flexible yet fashionable. Through the years, there have been constant effort from the brand to reinforce their image through TV commercials, print ads, and out-of-home advertisements. However, the fashion industry has witnessed an incredible shift of media consumption from traditional to digital. Many of this digital adaptors belong to the same target market that Cotton On caters to, young from the broad C. Many businesses have taken advantage of this by, early on, exerting the same effort digitally as they do above the line. Unfortunately, Cotton On came in late. They, in fact, established their online store less than three years ago. Outside of the online store, very little effort has been exerted to utilize the digital media to reach the Cotton On target market. This lack of digital presence resulted to one of the biggest digital scandal in the business world when facebook members started spreading complaints and protests against Cotton On Children’s line. The protest claimed that Cotton On’s pieces contained â€Å"disrespectful† messages. One word. That’s all it takes for a person to know someone inside and out, its history, its sensibilities, its personality, and its relationships. That word is the brand name. Coca-Cola. iPod. Nike. Google. Their identities are so strong and so embedded to the minds of the consumers that no single study, perhaps not even a compound of a thousand, can comprehensively explain how each company built it. Cotton On, despite being a young label, has experienced a certain

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Significance of a Study Essay Example for Free

Significance of a Study Essay The study of the knowledge, attitude and practice on premarital sex of senior high school students in a certain national high school in Iloilo can serve as a learning paradigm to teachers, guidance counselors, school administrators, health educators, parents and the students themselves to enhance their insight and for their ceaseless quest for knowledge. Being the secondary mentors, the teachers and guidance counselors can benefit to the findings of this study. The findings of this research may serve as a guide to deal with problems, controversies and topics related to sexuality. Equipped with this information, they will be able to understand, educate and give apt advice in order to breed respected and responsible members of the community. School administrators, being the ones to discipline the students, will gain advantage to the findings of this study since this will provide them additional awareness on the sexual attitude and practices of high school students. These may enable them to formulate policies and plan of actions that can help increase consciousness on pre marital sex in their schools and prevent sexually related problems amongst the students. The insight health educators and service providers will gain from the results of the study, will hasten their interest to propagate more ideas and facts or basis essential to the practice of their profession. The information provided by the study is important for them to plan interventions, prevention programs and dissemination of vital information addressed to the needs and problems of adolescents. The high school students will be the most benefited by the results of this study. They will have a criterion as to whether their knowledge is adequate, their attitude and practices on premarital sex conform to the standards of the community. The findings will guide them in terms of their limitations or boundaries. Being sexually active, they will be presented with the advantages and disadvantages of early engagement in sexual activities, which subsequently give rise to severe problems. The findings of the study will provide the parents, as primary educators, beneficial insights and useful information on the teenagers’ sexual attitude and practices. These will help them in managing such matters. Lastly, the result of the study may confront them with existing sexual issues that will provoke them to understand their children better. The knowledge they obtain may improve their parental roles and for their children to recognize better their parental authority. Furthermore, the results of this study may answer queries parents themselves don’t totally understand and for them to know the factors that may affect the sexuality concerns and sexual activities of their children.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Motivation In Second Language Learning

Motivation In Second Language Learning Motivation, as other individual differences in second language learning, plays a significant role which could affect second language learning success. It is an incentive to start L2 learning and sustain the later learning process. In classroom settings, same teachers, same materials, it could be seen that even one with highly aptitudes in learning a second language could fail in its achievement if there is no adequate motivation. For the past several decades, social psychologists and educators have made much effort to study this complicated topic through different aspects. This assignment will try to give a description of key findings from literatures in this field which will mainly focus on two of the most influential approaches: Gardners motivation theory and self-determination theory (Deci Ryan,1985, 2002). And then I will present a brief critique on an empirical research which was worked by Lucas etal (2010) A Study on the Intrinsic Motivation Factors in Second Language Learning Among Selected Freshman Students. This study had found that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.At last, I will examine that this research is helpful in understanding second language learning and teaching from my personal experience. Key Findings in this research According to Zoltan Dornyei (2005), second language learning motivation research has gone through three phrases: The social psychology period, the cognitive-situated period, and the processed-oriented period. In these three different periods, it could be found that social psychologist Gardener and his colleagues made the great contribution to their theory about integrative motivation and instrumental motivation. They indicated that second language learning is different from learning other subjects. Because it could be seen that it shows ones personal disposition and identity. For example, learning English has been a fevour for many years in China. People learn it may be in order to pass the various examinations or to communicate with westerners freely. The former one could be instrumental motivation, alternatively, the later on could be seen as integrative motivation. Integrative motivation and instrumental motivation During the social psychology period, Integrative motivation and instrumental motivation has played a influential role.The definition of integrative motivation given by Gardner and Lambert is that learning a second language is an interest to communicate with other communities which is a way to acknowledge to their people and culture. Relatively, instrumental motivation is somehow a desire to learn a second language so as to get a job opportunity or fulfill a credit points in study. The following research later on found that integrative motivation and language learning success had positive relationship at different aspects. (Clement, 1980; Gardner, 1985, 2000; Gardner, Day,MacIntvre, 1992; GardnerLambert, 1972; GardnerMacIntvre, 1991, 1993; Gardner, Tremblav,Masgoret, 1997; Masgoret Gardner, 2003). For instance, Gardner and Lambert (1972) identified that the students in French courses. They studied how their integrative motivation and instrumental motivation functioned when they learning. They found that integrative motivation played an imortant role in successful learning French. Further evidence were given by Gardner, Tremblay, and Masgoret(1997) which support the point of view. During their research, participants did multiple choice test, a doze test, a vocabulary test, a composition and grades in French who had been measured by one hundred items. Important relationship was found between integrative motivation and each second language learning achievement. Examination given by Ely (1986) studied that to what extent the integrative and instrumental motivation theory could describe motivation of learning Spanish for freshmen in one university. He indicated that validity and the significance of Gardners theory. And then Ramage (1990) identified a group of students motivation in learning French or Spanish when they finished the second year of high school studying. She also investigated their desire to keep on learning French or Spanish. She confirmed that there was a positive relationship between in interest toward the second Language culture and the willingness to continue learning French or Spanish. As it has been mentioned above, the definition of integrativeness plays a key role in Gardner and Lamberts (Gardner, 1985, 2000; GardnerLambert, 1972) dominant conceptual framework of second language learning motivation. Other researchers, inspired by this theory had made a great numbers of empirical studies from various aspects (e.g., Clement, 1980; Clement, Dornyei,Noels, 1994; ClementKruidenier, 1985; Dornyei, 1990, 1994a; DornyeiKormos, 2000; Gardner, Day,MacIntyme, 1992; Gardner, Lalonde, Moorcroft, 1985; GardnerMacI.., 1991; Schumann, 1986). To some extend, it could say that these studies supplement and enrich the understanding of relationship between second language motivation and its attitudes toward culture. It has been found a positive view for second language learners who want to integrate other communities and get contact with people. Yet, as a enigma, integrativeness has still existing difficulties for the researchers to define its nature. Gardners (2001) said that the t erm is used frequently in the literature, though close inspection will reveal that it has slightly different meanings to many different individuals (p. 1). Further studies has still be needed. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation When it turns into cognitive-situated period, Self- determination theory which proposed by Deci and Ryan provides two kinds of motivation. Intrinsic interest focous on the activity for its own sake. On the other hand, extrinsic interest based on the rewards such as points, candies, compliments, money, test scores, or grades. However, These two types of motivation are not absolutely dichotomy. It could define that intrinsic motivation (IM) is a motivation which emphasize the enjoyment of engaging in activity. Ryan and Deci(1985) suggested that the nature needs for competence and self-determination is rooted in intrinsic motivation. Whats more, they supposed that people will choose to engage to an activity which is according to their propensities. Because the degree of the activity could rise. And then with challenging those difficulties, learners will realize a sense of competence in their abilities. However, the precondition is that they could be given free opportunities to choose. Ryan and Decis (2000) hypothesis cited in Lucas etal (2010: 6) stated that no single phenomenon reflects the positive potential of human nature as much as intrinsic motivation ¼Ã…’which is defined as the inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise ones capacities, to explore, and to learn. Developmentalists confirmed that even without rewards, children are active and curious from the time when are born. It is so important for cognitive and social progress and that describe a main source of pleasure in life. Ryan and Deci (2000) posit that no single phenomenon reflects the positive potential of human nature as much as intrinsic motivation ¼Ã…’which is defined as the inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise ones capacities, to explore, and to learn. Developmentalists acknowledge that from time of birth, children, in their earliest and healthiest states, are active, inquisitive, curious, and playful ¼Ã…’even in the absence of rewards. The whole construct of intrinsic motivation describes this natural inclination toward assimilation, mastery ¼Ã…’spontaneous interest, and exploration that is so essential to cognitive and social development and that represents a principal source of enjoyment throughout life (CsikszentmihalyiRat hund e, 1993; Ryan1995 in Ryan Deci ¼Ã…’2000). Ryan ¼Ã…’Kuhl and Deci (1997) also argued that despite the fact That humans are liberally endowed with intrinsic motivaions, it is clear that the maintenance and enhancement of this inherent propensity requires supportive conditions, as it can be readily disrupted by various non supportive conditions. Thus, their theory of intrinsic motivation does not concern what causes intrinsic motivation ¼Ã…’but rather ¼Ã…’it examines the conditions that elicit and su staff n ¼Ã…’versus subdue and diminish this innate propensity. Thus, Deci and Ryan (1985) presented the Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET) as a subtheory within SDT self-determination theory that had the aim of specifying factors that explain variability in intrinsic motivation. CET was conceptualized in terms of social and environmental factors That facilitate versus undermine intrinsic motivation, being inherent, will be catalyzed when individuals are in conditions that conduce toward its expression. The study of conditions that facilitate versus undermine intrinsic motivation is an important step in understanding sources of both alienation and liberation of the positive aspects of human nature. Furthermore, CET specifies that feelings of competence will not enhance intrinsic motivation unless accompanied by a sense of autonomy (Fisher ¼Ã…’1978; Ryan ¼Ã…’1982 i n Ryan Deci.2000). To sum ¼Ã…’CET framework suggests that social environments can facilitate or forestall intrinsic motivation by supporting versus thwarting peoples innate psychological needs. Strong links between intrinsic motivation and satisfaction of the needs for autonomy and competence have been demonstrated.It is critical to remember that people will be intrinsically motivated only for activities that hold intrinsic interest for them ¼Ã…’activities that have the appeal of novelty ¼Ã…’challenge, or aesthetic value.(Ryan and Deci 2000) The term extrinsic motivation refers to the performance of an activity in order to attain some separable outcome, and thus, contrasts with intrinsic motivaion ¼Ã…’which refers to doing an activity for the inherent satisfaction of theactivity itself. In contrast to intrinsically motivated behaviors, extrinsic motivation (EM)are those actions carried out to achieve some instrumental end ¼Ã…’such as earning a reward or avoiding a punishment. This type of motivation does not necessarily imply a lack of self-determination in the behaviors performed.Ryan an d Deci (1985) and Vallerand (1987) maintained that different types of extrinsic motivation (EM)could be classified along a continuum according to the extent to which they are internalized into the self- concept (i.e., the extent to which the motivation isself -determined ). Critique on a empirical research The paper focused on intrinsic motivation factors that may help identify what specific L2 communicative skill students are more motivated to learn. The study involved 240 freshman college students from different universities and colleges in Metro Manila. A 48-item questionnaire was administered to the selected respondents. The results of the study showed that students are intrinsically motivated to learn speaking and reading skills and that they are intrinsically motivated via knowledge and accomplishment. These may suggest that students are motivated to learn these linguistic skills due to the very nature of the skills which they find interesting and relevant to them. The mastery of these linguistic skills somehow helps them achieve their learning goals which may bring benefits to them in the future. The study investigated if students are intrinsically motivated to learn L2 communicative skills such as writing, reading, speaking and listening. It also examined the factors of intrinsic motivation that may help determine why and why they are not motivated to learn those macro skills. This study adapted Deci and Ryans (1985) self-determination theory and Vallerands (1997) Academic Motivation Benefits from the research The study puts forward the reality that indeed ¼Ã…’English is a prestigious language and that students will always be interested to learn this language due to the many benefits it may bring. Their bilingual exposure at a very early stage in their lives puts the Filipino young language learner to an advantage over their Asian counterparts. It could be seen that motivation is a key component in second language learning. However, in my teaching experience, I could find some students still could be lowly motivated or even lost motivation in learning English. The reasons for this could be found by the research just discussed above. Lucas etal (2010) generated that teachers are influential in their students motivation towards their own learning competencies. Thus, it is highly important for the second language teachers to improve their own qualification of teaching continuously. Moreover, sufficient preparation for every class is needed. Students always expected to learn as much as possible interesting and helpful skills from teachers instruction. So reasonable design and arrangement of the details of classroom activities could help students achieve their goals. Firstly, factors relating to a class design should be taken into account such as the length of time, the level of students proficiency, the size of the class, teaching equipment and approaches. Secondly, it is possible that unexpected problems could happen in the process of teaching. Therefore, how to change and adapt other ways of teaching should be considered. For example, at different stages, the teachers role could be instructors or friends. Thirdly, during my classroom settings, the procedures often go by the following process: leading in, explaining, practicing and output. It could be said that each steps have their own features. Thus, it is significant to noticing activities adoption, the ways of communication and giving feedback. I found that students could get fulfillment and satisfying from a successful classroom teaching process. Thus, in other words, a teacher with more competence in teaching could help students become more confident in learning. At last, students motivation could be motivated and improve their achievement in second language learning. In addition to intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation could also function as a positive role in teaching English. Bilingual exposure in a second language environment could stimulate students extrinsic motivation through different ways. After entering WTO, it has become a heated-topic to learning English. Student extrinsic motivation have been highly strengthened when they found other people were all learning English. Relatively, it could say that if one found the other students have no interest in learning this kind of language, he or she will probably feel the same way. From another aspects, further more, it could also say that parents positive attitude towards English language and cultures of English speaking countries could generate their childrens extrinsic motivation toward English learning . Conversely, parents negative attitude could result their lack of learning . 4 how to stimulate students motivation During teaching process, teachers could combine the teaching materials and specific classroom settings to help students to establish a conducive learning motivation, for example, to develop learners interest in learning the language and its culture. At the same time, it is helpful if students could to change their attitudes toward learning second language. At last, they could turn their extrinsic motivation into extrinsic motivation. 4.1 to provide a good classroom environment The classroom environment is very important to language teaching. As Gardner (1981) stated that we can not actually teach students a foreign language, but only to create a suitable language learning environment for students. Good classroom atmosphere could not only make students learning actively and enhance their motivation but also could greatly improve their ability to learn. Psychological research shows that studying in a relative relax and joyful environment could maintain fine mental state and enhance ones memory. Furthermore, it is helpful for letting students thinking creatively and find their potential abilities. Conversely, if the classroom environment is tedious, the state of students learning could be poor. Consequently, negative attitudes toward learning could appear which will weaken the motivation, learning effect will not be guaranteed. In addition, the establishment of the communicative environment is also very important for teachers. It is very likely to stimulated students second language learning motivation by providing their opportunities to use language in an authentic environment. Therefore teachers should as much as possible to try to create communication opportunities and harmonious environment to improve students motivation to learn. Inspire students learning motivation through classroom activities. It could be seen that providing students successful learning experience and cultivating their intrisinc interest in activities could achieve the aim of improve students learning motivation in second language learning. there are part of students who have not been inspired by extrinsic or intrinsinc motivation in the classroom settings. For them, targeted activities could be important. Because they could find their learning interest during the participation of various and useful activities. It could say that offering opportunities for students with experience of success by designing suitable actives is a key role in second language learning achievement. 4.3 helping students to establish learning goals Learning objectives could be divided into long-term goals and short-term goals. Long-term goals could relatively ensure learners learning behavior to keep a longer time. Alternatively, achievement of the short-term goals could give students the fulfillment of learning experience, so that students can have a strong learning motivation. Therefore, according to learners different levels of learning, teacher could help students to establish specific long-term goals and short-term goals. Whats more, Long-term goals should have high standards and short-term goals must be feasible. 4.4 understand the students learning needs It is significant for language teachers to understand students learning needs so as to instruct them what they want to learn. Because it is a useful way to arouses students study enthusiasm, and cultivate their interest in learning by fulfill their thirst for knowledge. Conclusion So far, second language learning motivation is still a complicated topic which has many aspects waiting for further study It is has been widely accepted that motivation plays a very significant role in second language learning achievement. The reason for some students learning poorly mainly is that they do not have highly motivation. Motivational strategies for second language learning is important . it is obvious that teacher could not create students extrinsic motivation, but teachers attitudes towards second language and its culture could have a great effect on its development. Activities in the classroom could cultivate students intrinsic motivation. .

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Quest For Certainty Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"The Quest for Certainty† The Seven Storey Mountain By Thomas Merton   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton explains how he sought to find certainty in his life through religion. Merton began the book by giving an overview of his early childhood. His father was from New Zealand and his mother was an American who lived in France. Both his father and mother were artists and did not earn much money. When his parents needed extra money, Merton’s father would do various jobs in order for the family to survive. For example, he would garden occasionally and he even played the organ at the local Episcopalian church for a short period of time. This church was the first that Merton would attend. He did not understand the rituals or the concept of prayer. This lack of understanding about churches or religion, for that matter, was contributed to the fact that he never received any formal religious training from his parents. It is evident that Merton’s mother was a Quaker, but she did not choose to involve her family in the faith. Early in Thomas’s life, his mother died from stomach cancer. From this point on, Thomas would spend some of his time living with his grandparents in New York and he would travel part-time with his father to France. Merton had a fascination with the numerous cathedrals in France. Although he knew nothing about the monastic vocations or religious rules connected to the pictures in the cathedrals, hi...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Diet Supplement of the Future Essay -- Pyruvate Health Dieting Ess

The Diet Supplement of the Future With all of the current controversies surrounding the diet pill Phen Fen, people are quickly seeking other dietary supplements to control their eating habits and also to help burn the fat. One of the up and coming alternative diet supplements is Pyruvate. Only recently being introduced to the United States in the beginning of March 1997, Pyruvate has been extensively researched at the University of Pittsburgh for the past twenty seven years led by researcher, Dr. Ronald Stanko. The Food and Drug Administration has also conducted voluntary research. Pyruvate is not a drug, but a naturally occurring product and it does not require FDA approval for manufacturing. Pyruvate has given effective and encouraging results to its users over the past quarter of the century and is receiving increasingly more positive publicity as the diet supplement of choice. http://www.j-c-a.com/newvis/rep/facts.html What is Pyruvate? Pyruvate is a naturally occurring substance in the human body. It controls a person's metabolic rate and is produced in the liver. The more pyruvate a person can produce, the more fat they will burn daily. Because it is not an artificial stimulant to the metabolism, it will not increase blood pressure and is safe for both children and adults to use. Side effects are not a concern and none have been reported.http://www.j-c-a.com/newvis/rep/facts.html How does it Work? To explain exactly how pyruvate works, we must see how it works within the body. The substance is the byproduct of glucose (a six carbon molecule) which, after the Krebs Cycle, yields two molecu... ... group with the lowest consumption. After 5 weeks, the rats receiving Pyruvate weighed significantly less than the other controls. Resting oxygen consumption was significantly higher in Pyruvate fed rats. The results suggest that pyruvate consumption reduced the weight gain and food conversion efficiency of obese Zucker rats, in part by increasing resting metabolic rate and fatty acid oxidation. Cortez,M.Y., Torgan, C.E., Brozinick, J.T.,Miller, R.H,Ivy, J/L. "Effects of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone consumption on the growth and metabolic state of obese Zucker rats. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53:847-853, 1991 Other Useful Websites for Information on Pyruvate : http://209.41.18.72/bibt.html http://www.angelfire.com/mn/TwoMoonsRising/ http://www.cwru.edu:80/med/CIDEM/cidem.htm http://www.members.aol.com/dennisg21/products/pyruvate.htm The Diet Supplement of the Future Essay -- Pyruvate Health Dieting Ess The Diet Supplement of the Future With all of the current controversies surrounding the diet pill Phen Fen, people are quickly seeking other dietary supplements to control their eating habits and also to help burn the fat. One of the up and coming alternative diet supplements is Pyruvate. Only recently being introduced to the United States in the beginning of March 1997, Pyruvate has been extensively researched at the University of Pittsburgh for the past twenty seven years led by researcher, Dr. Ronald Stanko. The Food and Drug Administration has also conducted voluntary research. Pyruvate is not a drug, but a naturally occurring product and it does not require FDA approval for manufacturing. Pyruvate has given effective and encouraging results to its users over the past quarter of the century and is receiving increasingly more positive publicity as the diet supplement of choice. http://www.j-c-a.com/newvis/rep/facts.html What is Pyruvate? Pyruvate is a naturally occurring substance in the human body. It controls a person's metabolic rate and is produced in the liver. The more pyruvate a person can produce, the more fat they will burn daily. Because it is not an artificial stimulant to the metabolism, it will not increase blood pressure and is safe for both children and adults to use. Side effects are not a concern and none have been reported.http://www.j-c-a.com/newvis/rep/facts.html How does it Work? To explain exactly how pyruvate works, we must see how it works within the body. The substance is the byproduct of glucose (a six carbon molecule) which, after the Krebs Cycle, yields two molecu... ... group with the lowest consumption. After 5 weeks, the rats receiving Pyruvate weighed significantly less than the other controls. Resting oxygen consumption was significantly higher in Pyruvate fed rats. The results suggest that pyruvate consumption reduced the weight gain and food conversion efficiency of obese Zucker rats, in part by increasing resting metabolic rate and fatty acid oxidation. Cortez,M.Y., Torgan, C.E., Brozinick, J.T.,Miller, R.H,Ivy, J/L. "Effects of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone consumption on the growth and metabolic state of obese Zucker rats. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53:847-853, 1991 Other Useful Websites for Information on Pyruvate : http://209.41.18.72/bibt.html http://www.angelfire.com/mn/TwoMoonsRising/ http://www.cwru.edu:80/med/CIDEM/cidem.htm http://www.members.aol.com/dennisg21/products/pyruvate.htm The Diet Supplement of the Future Essay -- Pyruvate Health Dieting Ess The Diet Supplement of the Future With all of the current controversies surrounding the diet pill Phen Fen, people are quickly seeking other dietary supplements to control their eating habits and also to help burn the fat. One of the up and coming alternative diet supplements is Pyruvate. Only recently being introduced to the United States in the beginning of March 1997, Pyruvate has been extensively researched at the University of Pittsburgh for the past twenty seven years led by researcher, Dr. Ronald Stanko. The Food and Drug Administration has also conducted voluntary research. Pyruvate is not a drug, but a naturally occurring product and it does not require FDA approval for manufacturing. Pyruvate has given effective and encouraging results to its users over the past quarter of the century and is receiving increasingly more positive publicity as the diet supplement of choice. http://www.j-c-a.com/newvis/rep/facts.html What is Pyruvate? Pyruvate is a naturally occurring substance in the human body. It controls a person's metabolic rate and is produced in the liver. The more pyruvate a person can produce, the more fat they will burn daily. Because it is not an artificial stimulant to the metabolism, it will not increase blood pressure and is safe for both children and adults to use. Side effects are not a concern and none have been reported.http://www.j-c-a.com/newvis/rep/facts.html How does it Work? To explain exactly how pyruvate works, we must see how it works within the body. The substance is the byproduct of glucose (a six carbon molecule) which, after the Krebs Cycle, yields two molecu... ... group with the lowest consumption. After 5 weeks, the rats receiving Pyruvate weighed significantly less than the other controls. Resting oxygen consumption was significantly higher in Pyruvate fed rats. The results suggest that pyruvate consumption reduced the weight gain and food conversion efficiency of obese Zucker rats, in part by increasing resting metabolic rate and fatty acid oxidation. Cortez,M.Y., Torgan, C.E., Brozinick, J.T.,Miller, R.H,Ivy, J/L. "Effects of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone consumption on the growth and metabolic state of obese Zucker rats. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53:847-853, 1991 Other Useful Websites for Information on Pyruvate : http://209.41.18.72/bibt.html http://www.angelfire.com/mn/TwoMoonsRising/ http://www.cwru.edu:80/med/CIDEM/cidem.htm http://www.members.aol.com/dennisg21/products/pyruvate.htm

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Copyright vs. the Right to Copy Essay -- Computers Technology Internet

Copyright vs. the Right to Copy Today's digital technology and the computer have changed how the average consumer can acquire information and entertainment. No longer do we have to wait for the CD to hear a new song, or the release date to watch a movie. The technology is available on our home computers. But is this an infringement on copyright? What about the rights of artists, authors, producers, or actors? Has our technology progressed so far that it infringes on these peoples' livings? It is only a matter of time before laws are passed regarding Internet use. Are we ready to give up the freedom we have had up to this point? In her essay "The Digital Rights War", Pamela Samuelson states that " The new future of technically protected information is so far from the ordinary person's experience that few of us have any clue about what is at stake". (Samuelson 316) With today's technology consumers can download almost anything from their computer and copy it onto a CD Rom or to an MP3 player. Pirated copies of songs from CDs that are not yet released or movies that are still in the theaters are put on the Internet available for anyone to use or copy. These are extreme examples of the problem at hand. What lengths do we need to go to in protecting artists' rights? Pirating is nothing new. When I was in high school bootleg copies of concerts were available to buy on cassette. There will always be some people that don't follow the law, and even if we tighten up current copyrighting laws those people will find a way around them. The average consumer may download songs or articles from the Internet, but they do not distribute them or reproduce them. If they do reproduce them it is usually for personal use. The MP3 player that ... ...May 7, 2000. http://www.mp3.com Napster.com. "Information about Metallica's Request to Disable Napster Users." Napster Home Page. 1999-2000. May 7, 2000. http://www.napster.com RIAA. "Copyright Basics", "Napster Lawsuit Q & A." Recording Industry Association of America Home Page. May 7, 2000. http://www.riaa.com Samuelson, Pamela. "The Digital Rights War." The Presence of Others. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 315-321. U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. "The Digital Millennium copyright Act of 1998." December, 1998. May 7, 2000. http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/ White House Information Infrastructure Task Force. " Intellectual Property and the National Information Infrastructure:" U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 1995. http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/doc/ipnii/execsum.html

Deception Point Page 66

The old man turned off the television. â€Å"NASA claimed Dr. Harper was not feeling well that night.† He paused. â€Å"I happen to think Harper was lying.† Lying? Sexton stared, his fuzzy thoughts unable to piece together any logical rationale for why Harper would have lied about the software. Still, Sexton had told enough lies in his life to recognize a poor liar when he saw one. He had to admit, Dr. Harper sure looked suspicious. â€Å"Perhaps you don't realize?† the old man said. â€Å"This little announcement you just heard Chris Harper give is the single most important press conference in NASA history.† He paused. â€Å"That convenient software fix he just described is what allowed PODS to find the meteorite.† Sexton puzzled. And you think he was lying about it? â€Å"But, if Harper was lying, and the PODS software isn't really working, then how the hell did NASA find the meteorite?† The old man smiled. â€Å"Exactly.† 77 The U.S. military's fleet of â€Å"repo† aircraft repossessed during drug-trade arrests consisted of over a dozen private jets, including three reconditioned G4s used for transporting military VIPs. A half hour ago, one of those G4s had lifted off the Thule runway, fought its way above the storm, and was now pounding southward into the Canadian night en route to Washington. Onboard, Rachel Sexton, Michael Tolland, and Corky Marlinson had the eight-seat cabin to themselves, looking like some kind of disheveled sports team in their matching blue U.S.S. Charlotte jumpsuits and caps. Despite the roar of the Grumman engines, Corky Marlinson was asleep in the rear. Tolland sat near the front, looking exhausted as he gazed out the window at the sea. Rachel was beside him, knowing she could not sleep even if she'd been sedated. Her mind churned through the mystery of the meteorite, and, most recently, the dead room conversation with Pickering. Before signing off, Pickering had given Rachel two additional pieces of disturbing information. First, Marjorie Tench claimed to possess a video recording of Rachel's private deposition to the White House staff. Tench was now threatening to use the video as evidence if Rachel tried to go back on her confirmation of the meteorite data. The news was particularly unsettling because Rachel had specifically told Zach Herney that her remarks to the staff were for in-house use only. Apparently Zach Herney had ignored that request. The second bit of troubling news dealt with a CNN debate her father had attended earlier in the afternoon. Apparently, Marjorie Tench had made a rare appearance and deftly baited Rachel's father into crystallizing his position against NASA. More specifically, Tench had cajoled him into crudely proclaiming his skepticism that extraterrestrial life would ever be found. Eat his hat? That's what Pickering said her father had offered to do if NASA ever found extraterrestrial life. Rachel wondered how Tench had managed to coax out that propitious little sound bite. Clearly, the White House had been setting the stage carefully-ruthlessly lining up all the dominoes, preparing for the big Sexton collapse. The President and Marjorie Tench, like some sort of political tag team wrestling duo, had maneuvered for the kill. While the President remained dignified outside the ring, Tench had moved in, circling, cunningly lining up the senator for the presidential body slam. The President had told Rachel he'd asked NASA to delay announcing the discovery in order to provide time to confirm the accuracy of the data. Rachel now realized there were other advantages to waiting. The extra time had given the White House time to dole out the rope with which the senator would hang himself. Rachel felt no sympathy for her father, and yet she now realized that beneath the warm and fuzzy exterior of President Zach Herney, a shrewd shark lurked. You did not become the most powerful man in the world without a killer instinct. The question now was whether this shark was an innocent bystander-or a player. Rachel stood, stretching her legs. As she paced the aisle of the plane, she felt frustrated that the pieces to this puzzle seemed so contradictory. Pickering, with his trademark chaste logic, had concluded the meteorite must be fake. Corky and Tolland, with scientific assurance, insisted the meteorite was authentic. Rachel only knew what she had seen-a charred, fossilized rock being pulled from the ice. Now, as she passed beside Corky, she gazed down at the astrophysicist, battered from his ordeal on the ice. The swelling on his cheek was going down now, and the stitches looked good. He was asleep, snoring, his pudgy hands clutching the disk-shaped meteorite sample like some kind of security blanket. Rachel reached down and gently slipped the meteorite sample away from him. She held it up, studying the fossils again. Remove all assumptions, she told herself, forcing herself to reorganize her thoughts. Reestablish the chain of substantiation. It was an old NRO trick. Rebuilding a proof from scratch was a process known as a â€Å"null start†-something all data analysts practiced when the pieces didn't quite fit. Reassemble the proof. She began pacing again. Does this stone represent proof of extraterrestrial life? Proof, she knew, was a conclusion built on a pyramid of facts, a broad base of accepted information on which more specific assertions were made. Remove all the base assumptions. Start again. What do we have? A rock. She pondered that for a moment. A rock. A rock with fossilized creatures. Walking back toward the front of the plane, she took her seat beside Michael Tolland. â€Å"Mike, let's play a game.† Tolland turned from the window, looking distant, apparently deep in his own thoughts. â€Å"A game?† She handed him the meteorite sample. â€Å"Let's pretend you're seeing this fossilized rock for the first time. I've told you nothing about where it came from or how it was found. What would you tell me it is?† Tolland heaved a disconsolate sigh. â€Å"Funny you should ask. I just had the strangest thought†¦ â€Å" Hundreds of miles behind Rachel and Tolland, a strange-looking aircraft stayed low as it tore south above a deserted ocean. Onboard, the Delta Force was silent. They had been pulled out of locations in a hurry, but never like this. Their controller was furious. Earlier, Delta-One had informed the controller that unexpected events on the ice shelf had left his team with no option but to exercise force-force that had included killing four civilians, including Rachel Sexton and Michael Tolland. The controller reacted with shock. Killing, although an authorized last resort, obviously never had been part of the controller's plan. Later, the controller's displeasure over the killings turned to outright rage when he learned the assassinations had not gone as planned. â€Å"Your team failed!† the controller seethed, the androgynous tone hardly masking the person's rage. â€Å"Three of your four targets are still alive!† Impossible! Delta-One had thought. â€Å"But we witnessed-â€Å" â€Å"They made contact with a submarine and are now en route to Washington.† â€Å"What!† The controller's tone turned lethal. â€Å"Listen carefully. I am about to give you new orders. And this time you will not fail.† 78 Senator Sexton was actually feeling a flicker of hope as he walked his unexpected visitor back out to the elevator. The head of the SFF, as it turned out, had not come to chastise Sexton, but rather to give him a pep talk and tell him the battle was not yet over. A possible chink in NASA's armor. The videotape of the bizarre NASA press conference had convinced Sexton that the old man was right-PODS mission director Chris Harper was lying. But why? And if NASA never fixed the PODS software, how did NASA find the meteorite?

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 17

Tiffany's Head Floating over the Waves When Ronnie picks me up in his minivan – which has three rows of seats – Tiffany is already buckled in next to Emily's car seat, so I climb into the very back, carrying the football and the bag my mother packed me, which contains a towel, a change of clothes, and a bagged lunch, even though I told Mom that Ronnie was bringing hoagies from the local deli. Of course my mother feels the need to stand on the front porch and wave, as if I were five years old. Veronica, who is riding in the front passenger's seat, leans over Ronnie and yells to my mother. â€Å"Thanks for the wine and flowers!† My mother takes this as an invitation to walk to the minivan and have a conversation. â€Å"How do you like the outfit I bought for Pat?† my mom says when she reaches Ronnie's window. She ducks down and takes a long look at Tiffany, but Tiffany has already turned her head away from my mother and is looking out the window at the house across the street. The outfit I am wearing is ridiculous: a bright orange polo shirt, bright green swimming shorts, and flip-flops. I did not want to wear any of this, but I knew Veronica was likely to make a fuss if I wore one of my cutoff T-shirts and a pair of workout shorts. Since Veronica and my mother have pretty much the same taste, I allowed my mother to dress me – plus, it makes Mom really happy. â€Å"He looks great, Mrs. Peoples,† Veronica says, and Ronnie nods in agreement. â€Å"Hello, Tiffany,† my mother says, sticking her head into the car a little more, but Tiffany ignores her. â€Å"Tiffany?† Veronica says, but Tiffany continues to stare out the window. â€Å"Have you met Emily yet?† Ronnie asks, and then he is out of the car and Emily is unbuckled from her car seat and placed in my mother's arms. Mom's voice gets all funny as she talks to Emily, and standing next to Mom, Veronica and Ronnie are all smiles. This goes on for a few minutes, until Tiffany turns her head and says, â€Å"I thought we were going to the beach today.† â€Å"Sorry, Mrs. Peoples,† Veronica says. â€Å"My sister can be a little blunt sometimes, but we probably should get going so we can have lunch on the beach.† My mother quickly nods and says, â€Å"Have a good time, Pat,† as Ronnie buckles Emily back into her car seat. Again I feel like I am five. On the way to the shore, Ronnie and Veronica talk to Tiffany and me the same way they talk to Emily – as if they are not really expecting a response, saying things that really don't need to be said at all. â€Å"Can't wait to get on the beach.† â€Å"We're going to have such a good time.† â€Å"What should we do first – swim, walk the beach, or throw the football?† â€Å"Such a nice day.† â€Å"Are you guys having fun?† â€Å"Can't wait to eat those hoagies!† After twenty minutes of non-talk, Tiffany says, â€Å"Can we please have some quiet time?† and we ride the rest of the way listening to the yelling noises Emily makes – what her parents claim is singing. We drive through Ocean City and over a bridge to a beach I do not know. â€Å"Little less crowded down here,† Ronnie explains. When we park, Emily is put into what looks like a cross between a stroller and a 4Ãâ€"4 vehicle, which Veronica pushes. Tiffany carries the umbrella. Ronnie and I carry the cooler, each of us grabbing a handle. We take a wooden walkway over a sand dune covered with sea oats and find that we have the beach all to ourselves. Not another person anywhere to be seen. After a brief discussion about whether the tide is coming in or out, Veronica picks a dry patch and tries to spread out the blanket while Ronnie begins digging the umbrella spike into the sand. But there is a breeze, and Veronica has some trouble, as the wind keeps folding the blanket over. If it were anyone but Veronica, I would grab a corner and help, but I do not want to get yelled at, so I wait for instructions before I do anything. Tiffany does the same, but Veronica fails to ask for help. Maybe some sand gets kicked up or something, because Emily starts screaming and rubbing her eyes. â€Å"Nice,† Tiffany says. Veronica immediately attends to Emily, telling her to blink, demonstrating what to do, but Emily only screams even louder. â€Å"I can't take a crying baby right now,† Tiffany adds. â€Å"Make her stop crying. Veronica, would you please make her – â€Å" â€Å"Remember what Dr. Lily said? What did we talk about this morning?† Veronica says over her shoulder, shooting Tiffany a serious look before turning her attention back to Emily. â€Å"So now we're talking about my therapist in front of Pat? You fucking bitch,† Tiffany says, shaking her head, and then she is walking away from us quickly. â€Å"Christ,† Veronica says. â€Å"Ronnie, can you handle Emily?† Ronnie nods solemnly, and then Veronica is running after Tiffany, saying, â€Å"Tiff? Come back. Come on. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.† Ronnie flushes Emily's eyes with bottled water, and after ten minutes or so, she stops crying. We get the blanket spread out under the shade of the umbrella, weighting the corners down with the cooler, our flip-flops and sandals, and Emily's super stroller – but Veronica and Tiffany do not come back. After every inch of Emily's skin is coated with sunscreen, Ronnie and I play with her down at the water's edge. She likes running after the waves as they recede. She likes digging in the sand, and we have to watch to make sure she does not eat the sand, which seems weird to me, because why would anyone want to eat sand? Ronnie carries Emily out into the ocean, and we all float over the waves for a time. I ask if we should be worried about Veronica and Tiffany, and Ronnie says, â€Å"No. They're just having a therapy session somewhere on the beach. They'll be back soon.† I don't like the way he emphasizes the word â€Å"therapy,† as if therapy were some sort of ridiculous idea, but I don't say anything. After we dry off, we all lie down on the blanket – Ronnie and Emily in the shade, and me in the sun. I doze off pretty quickly. When I open my eyes, Ronnie's face is next to mine; he's sleeping. I feel a tap on my shoulder, and when I roll over, I see that Emily has walked around the blanket. She smiles at me and says, â€Å"Pap.† â€Å"Let Daddy sleep,† I whisper, and then pick her up and carry her down to the water. For a while we sit and dig a small hole in the wet sand with our hands, but then Emily stands and chases the foam of a receding wave, laughing and pointing. â€Å"Want to go swimming?† I ask her, and she nods once, so I scoop her up into my arms and begin to wade out into the water. The surf has picked up some and the waves have a lot more height, so I quickly walk past the breakers to where the water is up to my chest. Emily and I begin to float over the swells. As the waves grow in size, I have to jump and kick really hard to keep both of our heads above water, but Emily loves it and begins squealing and laughing and clapping her hands every time we float up. This goes on for a good ten minutes, and I am so happy; I kiss her chubby cheeks over and over. Something about Emily makes me want to float over waves with her for the rest of my life, and I decide that when apart time is done, I will make a daughter with Nikki ASAP, because nothing has made me even close to this happy since apart time began. The swells get even bigger. I lift Emily up and put her on my shoulders so she will not have her face splashed by the waves, and her squeals seem to suggest that she likes being so high in the air. We float up. We float down. We are so happy. We are so, so happy. But then I hear someone screaming. â€Å"Pat! Pat! Paaaaaaat!† I turn and see that Veronica is running very quickly down the beach, with Tiffany trailing far behind. I worry that maybe something is wrong, so I start to make my way in. The waves are pretty big now, and I have to take Emily down from my shoulders and hold her against my chest to ensure her safety, but soon we are able to negotiate our way back to Veronica, who is now running into the surf. When I get closer, Veronica seems to be very upset. Emily starts to scream and reach for her mother. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† Veronica says to me when I hand Emily over to her. â€Å"I'm just swimming with Emily,† I say. Veronica's screaming must have woken up Ronnie, because he has run down to meet us. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"You let Pat take Emily out into the ocean?† Veronica says, and by the way she says my name, it's obvious she does not want Emily to be left alone with me, because she thinks I am going to hurt Emily somehow, which is unfair – especially since Emily only started crying when she heard Veronica screaming, so really Veronica was the one who upset her own daughter. â€Å"What did you do to her?† Ronnie says to me. â€Å"Nothing,† I say. â€Å"We were only swimming.† â€Å"What were you doing?† Veronica says to Ronnie. â€Å"I must of fallen asleep, and – â€Å" â€Å"Jesus Christ, Ronnie. You left Emily alone with him?† The way Veronica says â€Å"him,† Emily crying, Ronnie accusing me of doing something awful to his daughter, the sun burning my bare chest and back, Tiffany watching now – suddenly I feel as though I might explode. I definitely feel an episode coming on, so before I blow up, I do the only thing I can think of: I start running down the beach away from Veronica and Ronnie and Emily and the crying and the accusations. I run as fast as I can, and suddenly I realize that now I am crying, probably because I was only swimming with Emily and it felt so right and I was trying to be good and thought I was being good and I let my best friend down and Veronica screamed at me and it's not fair because I have been trying so hard and how long can this fucking movie last and how much more do I need to improve myself and – Tiffany passes me. She runs by me like a blur. Suddenly, only one thing matters: I need to pass her. I start running faster and catch up to her, but she picks up her speed and we run side by side for a time until I find that gear women do not have, and I blow by her and maintain my man speed for a minute or so before I slow down and allow her to catch up with me. We jog side by side on the beach for a long time, neither of us saying a word. What feels like an hour passes before we turn around, and what feels like another hour passes before we see Ronnie and Veronica's umbrella, but before we reach them, Tiffany veers into the ocean. I follow her – running directly into the waves – and the salt water feels so cool on my skin after a long run. Soon we are in too deep to stand, and Tiffany's head is floating over the waves, which have calmed down considerably. Her face is a little tan and her hair hangs dark and wet and natural and I see freckles on her nose that were not there earlier that morning – so I swim over to her. A wave lifts me up, and when I come down over the other side, I am surprised that our faces are very close. For a second Tiffany reminds me so much of Nikki, I worry we might accidentally kiss, but Tiffany swims a few feet away from me before this happens, and I am thankful. Her toes come up out of the water, and she begins to float, facing the horizon. I lean back, stare at the line where sky meets water, allow my toes to rise, and float next to Tiffany for a long time, neither of us saying anything. When we walk back to the blanket, Emily is sleeping with a fist in her mouth, and Veronica and Ronnie are lying down, holding hands in the shade. When we stand over them, they squint and smile at us like nothing bad had happened earlier. â€Å"How was your run?† Ronnie asks. â€Å"We want to go home now,† Tiffany says. â€Å"Why?† Ronnie says, sitting up. â€Å"We haven't even eaten our lunch. Pat, you really want to go home?† Veronica says nothing. I look up at the sky. No clouds at all. Nothing but blue. â€Å"Yeah, I do,† I tell him, and then we are in the minivan driving back to Collingswood.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Life Is Beautiful (Film) -Speech

Good morning everyone. My name is Joshua Orefice, in the early part of my childhood life is beautiful, living in Arezzo, Italy with my loving mother and father, Guido and Dora, but things take a turn for the worst with the occupation of my hometown by German forces. On my fifth birthday my Mother, Father, Uncle Eliseo and myself were forced onto a train bound for a concentration camp.At the time I was confused, unaware of the true nature of the camp and completely oblivious to the vile actions that really occurred at this place of death. In order to protect me from a world that was not fit for five year old boy, my father had to think fast on his feet to turn the hard truth into a mere game. In the camp, my father would hide me from the Nazi guards, sneak me food and would always try to humour me.In an attempt to keep up me spirits, He convinced me that the camp was just a game, in which the first person to get 1,000 points wins a  tank. He told me that if I cried, said that I was hungry or complained about missing my mother, I would lose points, while if I was quiet and remained hidden from the camp guards I would earn points. In a similar fashion he also convinced my young self that the guards are also a part of the game and that were angry because they want the tank for themselves.My father maintained this story right up to the end of his life, and as the Americans advance on the camp and their tanks come closer to rolling over the hill, my father was forced to make the greatest sacrifice in order to ensure my safety and that I can be again reunited with my mother. Despite him knowing that his death was inevitable, at our final moment he still upheld his positive attitude and protected from the evils of mankind. From this journey I can now look back on what my father taught me, that love, family and imagination can conquer all. Life is beautiful.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Shadow Kiss Chapter 7

SEVEN WHEN THE FIRST WARNING for curfew came around, the Moroi packed their things up. Adrian took off right away, but Lissa and Christian took their time walking back to the dorm. They held hands and kept their heads close together, whispering about something that I could have â€Å"spied† on if I'd gone inside Lissa's head. They were still outraged over the Victor news. I gave them their privacy and kept my distance, scouting while Eddie walked off to their side. Since there were more Moroi than dhampirs on campus, the Moroi actually had two side-by-side dorms. Lissa and Christian lived in different ones. The two of them stopped when they came to the spot outside the buildings where the path through the quad split. They kissed goodbye, and I did my best to do the guardian seeing-without-actually-seeing thing. Lissa called goodbye to me and then headed off to her dorm with Eddie. I followed Christian to his. If I'd been guarding Adrian or someone like him, I would probably have had to put up with sexual jokes about us sleeping near each other for the next six weeks. But Christian treated me in the casual, brusque way one might a sister. He cleared a spot on the floor for me, and by the time he returned from brushing his teeth, I'd made myself a cozy bed out of blankets. He flipped off the lights and climbed into his own bed. After several quiet moments, I asked, â€Å"Christian?† â€Å"This is the time when we sleep, Rose.† I yawned. â€Å"Believe me, I want that too. But I have a question.† â€Å"Is it about Victor? Because I need to sleep, and that's just going to piss me off again.† â€Å"No, it's about something else.† â€Å"Okay, shoot.† â€Å"Why didn't you make fun of me over what happened with Stan? Everyone else is trying to figure out if I messed up or did it on purpose. Lissa gave me a hard time. Adrian did a little. And the guardians †¦ well, never mind about them. But you didn't say anything. I figured you'd be the first one with a snappy comment.† More silence fell, and I hoped he was thinking about his answer and not falling asleep. â€Å"There was no point in giving you a hard time,† he said at last. â€Å"I know you didn't do it on purpose.† â€Å"Why not? I mean, not that I'm contradicting you – because I didn't do it on purpose – but why are you so sure?† â€Å"Because of our conversation in culinary science. And because of the way you are. I saw you in Spokane. Anyone who did what you did to save us †¦ well, you wouldn't do something childish like this.† â€Å"Wow. Thanks. I †¦ well, that means a lot.† Christian believed me when no one else did. â€Å"You're like the first person who actually believes I just messed up without any ulterior motives.† â€Å"Well,† he said, â€Å"I don't believe that either.† â€Å"Believe what? That I messed up? Why not?† â€Å"Weren't you just listening? I saw you in Spokane. Someone like you doesn't mess up or freeze.† I started to give him the same line I'd given the guardians, that killing Strigoi didn't make me invincible, but he cut me off: â€Å"Plus, I saw your face out there.† â€Å"Out†¦ on the quad?† â€Å"Yeah.† Several more quiet moments passed. â€Å"I don't know what happened, but the way you looked †¦ that wasn't the look of someone trying to get back at a person. It wasn't the look of someone blanking out at Alto's attack either. It was something different†¦. I don't know. But you were completely consumed by something else – and honestly? Your expression? Kind of scary.† â€Å"Yet†¦you aren't giving me a hard time over that either.† â€Å"Not my business. If it was big enough to take you over like that, then it must be serious. But if push comes to shove, I feel safe with you, Rose. I know you'd protect me if there was really a Strigoi there.† He yawned. â€Å"Okay. Now that I've bared my soul, can we please go to bed? Maybe you don't need beauty sleep, but some of us aren't that lucky.† I let him sleep and soon gave into exhaustion myself. I'd had a long day and was still short on rest from the previous night. Once heavily asleep, I began to dream. As I did, I felt the telltale signs of one of Adrian's contrived dreams. â€Å"Oh no,† I groaned. I stood in a garden in the middle of summer. The air was heavy and humid, and sunshine beat down on me in golden waves. Flowers of every color bloomed around me, and the air was heavy with the scent of lilacs and roses. Bees and butterflies danced from blossom to blossom. I wore jeans and a linen tank top. My nazar, a small blue eye made of glass that allegedly warded off evil, hung around my neck. I also wore a beaded bracelet with a cross, called a chotki, on my wrist. It was a Dragomir heirloom Lissa had given me. I rarely wore jewelry in my daily duties, but it always showed up in these dreams. â€Å"Where are you?† I called. â€Å"I know you're here.† Adrian stepped around from behind an apple tree that was thick with pink and white flowers. He wore jeans – something I'd never seen him in before. They looked good and were undoubtedly a designer brand. A dark green cotton T-shirt – also very simple – covered his upper body, and the sunlight brought out highlights of gold and chestnut in his brown hair. â€Å"I told you to stay out of my dreams,† I said, putting my hands on my hips. He gave me his lazy smile. â€Å"But how else are we supposed to talk? You didn't seem very friendly earlier.† â€Å"Maybe if you didn't use compulsion on people, you'd have more friends.† â€Å"I had to save you from yourself. Your aura was like a storm cloud.† â€Å"Okay, for once, can we please not talk about auras and my impending doom?† The look in his eyes told me he was actually really interested in that, but he let it go. â€Å"Okay. We can talk about other things.† â€Å"But I don't want to talk at all! I want to sleep.† â€Å"You are sleeping.† Adrian smiled and walked over to study a flowering vine that was winding up a post. It had orange and yellow flowers shaped like trumpets. He gently ran his fingers over one of the flowers' edges. â€Å"This was my grandmother's garden.† â€Å"Great,† I said, making myself comfortable against the apple tree. It looked like we could be here for a while. â€Å"Now I get to hear your family history.† â€Å"Hey she was a cool lady.† â€Å"I'm sure she was. Can I go yet?† His eyes were still on the vine's blossoms. â€Å"You shouldn't knock Moroi family trees. You don't know anything about your father. For all you know, we could be related.† â€Å"Would that mean you'd leave me alone?† Strolling back over to me, he switched subjects as though there'd been no interruption. â€Å"Nah, don't worry. I think we come from different trees. Isn't your dad some Turkish guy anyway?† â€Å"Yeah, according to my – Hey, are you staring at my chest?† He was studying me closely, but his eyes were no longer on my face. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared. â€Å"I'm staring at your shirt,† he said. â€Å"The color is all wrong.† Reaching out, he touched the strap. Like ink spreading across paper, the ivory fabric turned the same shade of rich indigo as the vine's blossoms. He narrowed his eyes like an expert artist studying his work. â€Å"How'd you do that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"It's my dream. Hmm. You're not a blue person. Well, at least not in the color sense. Let's try this.† The blue lit up into a brilliant crimson. â€Å"Yes, that's it. Red's your color. Red like a rose, like a sweet, sweet Rose.† â€Å"Oh man,† I said. â€Å"I didn't know you could kick into crazy mode even in dreams.† He never got as dark and depressed as Lissa had last year, but spirit definitely made him weird sometimes. He stepped back and threw his arms out. â€Å"I'm always crazy around you, Rose. Here, I'm going to write an impromptu poem for you.† He tipped his head back and shouted to the sky: â€Å"Rose is in red But never in blue Sharp as a thorn Fights like one too.† Adrian dropped his arms and looked at me expectantly. â€Å"How can a thorn fight?† I asked. He shook his head. â€Å"Art doesn't have to make sense, little dhampir. Besides, I'm supposed to be crazy, right?† â€Å"Not the craziest I've ever seen.† â€Å"Well,† he said, pacing over to study some hydrangeas, â€Å"I'll work on that.† I started to ask again about when I could go â€Å"back† to sleep, but our exchange brought something to my mind. â€Å"Adrian †¦ how do you know if you're crazy or not?† He turned from the flowers, a smile on his face. I could tell he was about to make a joke, but then he looked at me more closely. The smile faded, and he turned unusually serious. â€Å"Do you think you're crazy?† he asked. â€Å"I don't know,† I said, looking down at the ground. I was barefoot, and sharp blades of grass tickled my feet. â€Å"I've been †¦ seeing things.† â€Å"People who are crazy rarely question whether they're crazy,† he said wisely. I sighed and looked back up at him. â€Å"That doesn't really help me.† He walked back over to me and rested a hand on my shoulder. â€Å"I don't think you're crazy, Rose. I think you've been through a lot, though.† I frowned. â€Å"What's that mean?† â€Å"It means I don't think you're crazy.† â€Å"Thanks. That clears things up. You know, these dreams are really starting to bug me.† â€Å"Lissa doesn't mind them,† he said. â€Å"You visit hers too? Do you seriously have no boundaries?† â€Å"Nah, hers are instructional. She wants to learn how to do this.† â€Å"Great. So I'm just the lucky one who gets to put up with your sexual harassment.† He actually looked hurt. â€Å"I really wish you wouldn't act like I'm evil incarnate.† â€Å"Sorry. I just haven't had much reason to believe you can do anything useful.† â€Å"Right. As opposed to your cradle-robbing mentor. I don't really see you making much progress with him.† I took a step back and narrowed my eyes. â€Å"Leave Dimitri out of this.† â€Å"I will when you stop acting like he's perfect. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he's one of the people who hid the trial from you, right?† I looked away. â€Å"That's not important right now. Besides, he had his reasons.† â€Å"Yeah, which apparently didn't involve being open with you or fighting to get you there. Whereas me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged. â€Å"I could get you into the trial.† â€Å"You?† I asked with a harsh laugh. â€Å"How are you going to pull that off? Have a smoke break with the judge? Use compulsion on the queen and half the royals at court?† â€Å"You shouldn't be so quick to slam people who can help you. Just wait.† He placed a light kiss on my forehead that I tried to wiggle away from. â€Å"But for now, go get some rest.† The garden faded, and I fell back into the normal blackness of sleep.

Friday, September 13, 2019

International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International business - Essay Example They are the result of the industry formation, their personal resources and the expertise the products rely on. Even if the industrialists did not clearly utilize the suggested framework to develop strategies, they do take advantage of a few aspects of these theories to support their decision-making. Nonetheless, the suggested theories cannot justify all of their strategies. It was interesting how the industrialists made use of â€Å"fortune†, â€Å"opportunity† and â€Å"gut feeling† to explain how they came about starting their businesses and why the business models developed the way they did. A number of decisions did not have a strategic foundation and were comparatively extemporized. This reveals the approach of startups to function as opposed to transnational businesses, which generally have some set of rules to follow before executing any plans (Lymbersky, p. 83, 2008). A lot similar to the rest of the Middle East, the Egyptian market is creating a taste f or foreign goods and newer generations are keen to try a rising range of these products. Introduction Once regarded as an improbable trade associate because of a fragmented retail sector as well as shortage of cold storage capability, the Middle East’s progress in both areas has led to better prospect for foreign confectionery providers. In addition, trade liberalization, better infrastructure in addition to distribution arrangements are aiding to smooth the progress of new product entry as well as brand development. In the present day, the Middle East (Lymbersky, p. 83, 2008) is among the most lucrative markets for confectionery around the globe. Demographically, the young people, rising number of emigrants, and mounting disposable income per capita should carry on creating demand for confectionery. Suppliers from all over the world are eager to meet this rising demand and are intensifying the competition for same reason. In a few of the smaller Middle Eastern nations such a s Israel, the supermarkets as well as hypermarkets make up the major share of confectionery sales. There are two national supermarket chains in Israel that currently control the retail scenario. Convenience stores, naturally, still play a most important part in confectionery supply; however, the small self-regulating grocer has mostly washed out from the scene (Sekkat, p. 29, 2009). Background The report helps in better understanding of the opportunities and possible barriers to enter the confectionary market of Middle Eastern region. The report is made with a regional focus and the information has been collected from all individual markets of Middle East region including Egypt, Israel and Turkey. Objective The objective of this report is to identify different market entry strategies and select the one that is most suitable for the company. The areas covered in this report are strategic issues this company is required to fix on earlier than product launch, to guarantee successful ma rket entry as well as their consequent survival. These consist of, but are not restricted to, the basis for entering that particular market segment, the types of promotion, their competitive advantages and methods to maintain these advantages. Reasons for Selecting Middle East Region There is developing awareness among international confectionery producers on the Middle East market. For many years, confectionery sales within the region have witnessed double-digit yearly growth, rising by almost 15 percent per annum between 2006 and 2009. There are quite a lot of bases for

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 9

Economics - Essay Example Although, Federal Reserve uses monetary policies tools such as open market operations, the discount rate and reserve requirement, the tools affect the economy either positively or negatively (Giuseppe, 2009). More so, increase or decrease of the reserve requirement affects interest rates in a short period as financial institutions lack funds to issue to investors. Nonetheless, higher discount rates make borrowing less attractive from Federal Reserve for many banks while low discount rate make borrowing more attractive for banks because they have access to more deposits. More so, it is necessary to establish how monetary policy caused the financial crisis in the country Considerably, Federal Reserve plays a crucial role in determining money supply in the economy that eventually affect credit availability and the interest rates in the United States. More significantly, Federal Reserve lowered interest rates in 2001 as it induced investors to borrow money to finance mortgages and purcha se of houses for speculation. However, in 2004 Federal Reserve increased the interest rates making payments of mortgages difficult thus, leading to increase in house prices. More so, businesses and individuals had accumulated a lot of interest from the mortgages, making it difficult to pay leading to high defaulting rate of the borrowed funds. More than that, the boom in house markets impacted on financial market lead to high levels of delinquencies and foreclosures. Considerably, the recession period was marked by high levels of economic downturn as the decline in the gross domestic product increased with high levels of unemployment during the recession period (Giuseppe, 2009). In addition, there is a lower level of money in the economy with a high level of bankruptcies and default in loan repayment crisis as real income declines with the economic downturn becomes worse impeding the Federal Reserve to take action as the economic recession period showed likelihood of economic depres sion era occurrence. In addition, the Federal reserve set reserve requirements limits for banks and financial institutions as it decreased reserve requirements between 2001-2005 by about 20% funds reserves owned by banks were used to give out more loans to businesses and individuals. As a result, there was an increase in money supply available in the economy thus, leading to inflation. However, in 2005 to 2008 Federal Reserve revised its monetary policy reducing the growth of GDP as it enhanced reduction of money supply in the economy. Nonetheless, the development of collateral mortgage obligations structured product served as a security for borrowing of money thus, individuals later had easer availability to loans .as they used insurance as security for the provision of safety for the loan borrowed if defaulted (Blanchard, 2008). Nonetheless, Federal Reserve failed to recognize liquidity problem in 2007, as it increased the interbank rates while failing to provide an immediate solu tion to the increasing money supply. As a result, interest rate rose to unprecedented levels that eventually led the economy into a period of recession. With the worsening of the economy, the Federal Reserve provided solutions meant to solve challenges that the USA economy was facing in the year 2008 as it uses monetary policies to solve the financial crisis. Federal Reserve increased money supply in t

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Book review on Song of the Hummingbird Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Book review on Song of the Hummingbird - Essay Example The location is in Mexico, and she wants to see somebody who can act as her confessor. â€Å"Song of the Hummingbird† is a novel by Graciela Limon that was written in 1996, and the main purpose of writing this novel was to tell the ‘actual’ story of the fall of Aztecs where Spaniard and Cortes were the conquerors. One version of the history is told the rulers of the country while its other version is told by an old lady (Hummingbird) of the nation in the form of a confession. The old lady is pretty intelligent and she chooses to make a confession before a confessor and starts telling the story of the cruelties, suppression, and brutality of the rulers as well as the actual tactics that were adopted to convert the inhabitants of the nation to Christianity. Huitzitzilin (Hummingbird) is actually a noble lady and is Aztec by birth. It was her twentieth year of age when the Spanish armies entered their country. She was caught by â€Å"awe caused by those bearded white men†. Later on, just like many other patriots of her nation, the feeling of anger possessed her mind, and led her to believe it to be the â€Å"end of civilization†. A princess is, thus, converted into a concubine (mistress who is sexually exploited by her master). She relates the confession or the historical events to the father who is deeply involved in hearing the story and becomes a source of imparting the actual events of history that are contrary to the incidents that are written in books. Father, Benita Lara, had actually come to take her confession and to convert her whereas she was pretty clever and a lot more intelligent than her contemporaries. She wanted to tell the exact socio-political cruelties that had lingered on her people and the brutality that was thrust upon them by the rulers. So, she chooses an odd way of telling history and, towards the end of the confession, she was able to convey her mind to the

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Macroeconomics of Botswana Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macroeconomics of Botswana - Research Paper Example ional firm of diamond contracted a ten-year agreement with Botswana to shift Botswana’s sorting of rough stone and division of trading by 2013, from London to Gaborone. This transformation will help support the decline of industry of diamond in Botswana, (Norda?s, Gilbert and Gloria 52). The economic freedom of Botswana ranges to about 70.6, achieving the 30th position of the freest economy in the index of 2013. It has an average score of 1.0 point grater that 2012 mainly because of progressive improvements in liberty from economic corruption and government expenditure management. The country is the second in forty-six nations in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa and has average score greater than the global and regional averages. The economy of Botswana is expanding mainly due to foreign investment fueled by reduced taxes, stability in political structure and climate and an extensively educated labor force. Botswana is a better example in extensive natural resources endowments , (Phirinyane 23). Corruption level is low in Botswana and an independent judiciary enacts agreements efficiently and safeguards property rights. A relatively efficient regulatory environment and open trade policies have underpinned competitiveness, whereas exports of diamond have reinforced effective foreign exchange flows. The department of finance is effectively developed, with a reliable central bank as well as minimal interventions by the government. Even though, the public debts are still low, the administration has attempted consolidation of fiscal to lower increased deficits of the global meltdown. The outstanding external level of debts of Botswana remains low and sustainable based of surpluses of perennial budget and extensive external policies of debts, irrespective of its current... This paper explores the economy of Botswana with specific emphasis on market labor, economic growth, taxes, debts and key factors, that impact economic growth of the nation. Botswana has been among the top popular world’s economic rate of growth starting independence. Nevertheless, the growth of economy was slow in 2009, with thirty percent decline of industrial sector, after the worldwide crisis minimized the Botswana’s diamonds demand. Even though, the Botswana witnessed economic recovery in 2010, the growth of GDP has similarly reduced. Via fiscal discipline as well as proper management, the country regenerated itself from the slowest economically growing nation and attained a middle-income nation with about sixteen thousand and eight hundred dollar GDP per capita by 2012. The economic freedom of Botswana ranges to about 70.6, achieving the 30th position of the freest economy in the index of 2013. It has an average score of 1.0 point grater that 2012 mainly because of progressive improvements in liberty from economic corruption and government expenditure management. The country is the second in forty-six nations in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa and has average score greater than the global and regional averages. The economy of Botswana is expanding mainly due to foreign investment fueled by reduced taxes, stability in political structure and climate and extensively educated labor force. The labor market of Botswana experiences constraints like increased unemployment levels and mismatch among supply and demand of labor.