Thursday, December 19, 2019

Economy of China - 625 Words

On the year of 1978, China was one of the poorest states at the global stage. During that time, China’s true per capita GDP was just one-tenth of the Brazilian grade and one-fourtieth tha United State of America grade. The following time, the true per capita GDP in China has grown to more than eight percent (8%) as an everage level in every year. The result from that increasing, has made China today holding the true per capita GDP at the same grade as Brazil and merely one-fifth of the United State of America grade. Nowadays, China become the second-largest economy at the global stage because of the fastest and perpetuated development in standard of living has made in a state with exceeding twenty percent (20%) of the globe’s population. However, China’s economic transformation is said has no historical law in the angle of steps and scale (Xiaodong, 2012, p. 103). What we want to focus now is the influence of China over Southeast Asia from the aspect of economy and what the foreign policies that involved between China and Southest Asia. First of all, we like to discuss on â€Å"the potential transmission of China’s monetary policy shocks to equity markets in Southeast Asia† (Johansson, 2010, p. 1). According to (Johansson et al., 2010, p. 2) importantly for us to understand first, how China’s economy and its economic policies has given effect over other states as China has became one of the biggest world economy holders. For the monetary system in China, it has established fromShow MoreRelatedIs China A Largest Economy?1684 Words   |  7 Pagesstandards, in the consideration of growth, Chinas economy is impressive. However, within the nation itself, the economy has not been able to achieve the government standards it wants to during the past few years. The capability that China has to become the largest economy in the wo rld is evident due to the fact that China is the second largest economy and with that power, everyone is looking at them to see how they are going to survive in the years to come. Their economy grew 6.7 percent in 2016, which isRead MoreChina s Second Largest Economy2291 Words   |  10 PagesChina is second largest economy in the word. Size of the Chinese economy and future growth potential has attracted the foreign companies to operate and earn profits. Thrust for cost saving and market expansion direct Multinational companies towards China. China has open the door for foreign companies between 1978 and 1990. Mode of entry utilized by multinational firms includes direct export, franchising, joint venture wholly owned subsidies. The various factors affecting the success of any foreignRead MoreEffects Of China s Fiscal For The Australian Economy3915 Words   |  16 PagesWhat are the effects of China’s recent economic slowdown in GDP for the Australian economy? Word Count â€Æ' ABSTRACT This essay looks to answer the question: What are the effects of China’s recent economic slowdown in GDP for the Australian economy? The intention is to look at China’s recent reduction in GDP rate of growth and find out if there are any significant negative implications for the Australian economy, and further investigate fears in the media that the slowdown may eventually proveRead MoreWhy China s Fall Would Have On The Global Economy872 Words   |  4 Pagesyou consider China’s fall would have on the global economy. The Chinese economy can be viewed as the cornerstone of the global economy. The current global GDP, measured in purchasing power parity of nearly 60%, as well as current international rate of growth at more than 80%, is primarily accounted for by China and other neighbouring middle-income countries, such as India or Vietnam.[1] These numbers are significant in understanding our global economy, which is widely interconnected through alliancesRead MoreChina Economy7357 Words   |  30 PagesCHINA AN ECONOMIC OVERVIEW The rapid rise of China as a major economic power within a time span of about three decades is often described by analysts as one of the greatest economic success stories in modern times. From 1979 (when economic reforms began) to 2011, China’s real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average annual rate of nearly 10%. From 1980 to 2011, real GDP grew 19-fold in real terms, real per capita GDP increased 14-fold, and an estimated 500 million people were raisedRead MoreEssay on Chinas Economy675 Words   |  3 Pagescontinue, China may be the world’s largest economy by 2020. Discuss the possible implications of such a development for (a) the world trading system, (b) the world monetary system (c) the business strategy of today’s European and U.S. global corporations, and (d) global commodity prices. A) The implications of such a development for the world trading system is that China will basically will be the root of trading. From my perspective, China’s growth of economic will benefit overall economy of worldRead MoreThe Economic Economy Of China900 Words   |  4 Pagesproducts or services. One notable economic powerhouse is China. Over the years, the Chinese business climate has grown from a centrally planned economy to a socialist market economic system. Having this new economic system gives foreign investors many market opportunities. However, one must not forget the differences in political and cultural environment that can create risk and uncertainty for foreign investors. According to a 2010 survey by the US-China Business council, companies are reporting strongRead MoreChina s Economy And Its Impact On The Economy Essay2332 Words   |  10 PagesWith the one of the fastest growing economies in the world, China’s increased consumer spending, rising inc omes, with unique demographics and an increasingly open business huge population of 1.3 billion not only creates a massive internal consumer market environment that have all helped to make the Chinese market increasingly attractive to international businesses across a variety of industries. China is distinct from other developing markets in a number of important ways, all of which have strongRead MoreThe Rise Of China s Economy1036 Words   |  5 Pagespotential existential threat, the answer is almost always China. China s economy is growing rapidly, its military is expanding, and its diplomatic influence has spread to every continent. However, despite its impressive rise in the last fifteen years, China remains decades away from competing with the US on any level. There has been more discussion of the rise of China in recent years due to the struggles in our own country. Our economy is growing very slowly, we have a massive national debt, andRead MoreChina s Influence On Economy1552 Words   |  7 Pagesdiverse countries is increasing extremely intense. With the rise of the third world, as the biggest part of it, China’s influence in economy has become a controversial issue due to the prosperity of economy. To be more specific, China became the second-largest economy in 2011(McCurry,J and Kollewe J,2011).And in recent years, according the data in the bar chart below, China GDP’s is growing rapidly and the growth rate is staying between 7% and 8% before 2015. At the same time, because of the development

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Country Boy, City Boy free essay sample

Throughout their lives, people accumulate experienceswhich shape them. These experiences lead many to hold contrasting views and topractice disparate ideologies. Differences can be healthy; people can learn fromeach other in spite of their differences. A major change in my life blessed mewith the knowledge and understanding of two vastly dissimilar subcultures ofAmerica. It is necessary to distinguish be-tween the two drasticallydifferent lives I have led. During my first life my country life -I encountered the most trusting, responsible, hard-working men I have ever known. I was born and raised a farm boy in Central Illinois in a ruralcommunity. My family and I lived on a large family farm of about 120 acres wherewe grew corn, beans, wheat and more corn. Our closest neighbors and friends weremy cousins, aunt, uncle and grandparents. Since they lived only a mile away, wesaw them every day. Everyone shared common bonds in the country; we all dependedon the weather and on each other, and were God-fearing individuals. We will write a custom essay sample on Country Boy, City Boy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lifewas slow and predictable. It was a quaint lifestyle, now that I look back on it.We lived right off Rural Route One in a house that had been passed down from onegeneration to the next, like most in that part of Illinois. Our hundred-year-oldhome had been remodeled many times and was still in shambles. After we moved, itwas torn down to make room for more farm land. There were peculiaritiesthat some may find hard to understand. The ties that bound the country folktogether were just one distinction. In our town of 100 (if you counted all thecats and dogs), everyone knew everyone. If Jim and Sue went out on a date, notonly did everyone know about it, they also knew how Jim treated Sue. There was aninherent responsibility and trust in this rural milieu, and consequently, one washeld accountable for every action. There was a silent trust betweenpeople. For example, sometimes tools items of great importance to a farmer -would be missing. When I would report their absence to my grandfather, he thoughtnothing of it because he had told many of our neighbors to simply take what theyneeded. Sure enough, the tools would be back in their places in a few days. Along with this trust was the faith in and dependence on the extendedfamily. Few people understand how close and important this can be. My cousins andsister were my best friends. I grew up in an atmosphere where family and friendswere the same people. This background has influenced the way I trust and care formy friends as if they were family. This is how it was done in the country. My kindergarten class had six students, all boys. We trusted each otherand thought of each other as family, not merely friends. This was simply how wewere raised. This indelible view of relationships has brought me joy, especiallyafter we left the farm. When my family moved to Houston, I began mysecond life my city life. Because of my fathers career, wetraveled to this land of opportunity. The transition was definitely a cultureshock. In the apartment complex where we lived until our house was built, we werethe only Caucasian family. That was new; in the country, everyone was white. Igradually became accustomed to the accents of my new friends and learned abouttheir religions and languages. When summer ended and school started, thenew world I lived in taught me more about people. My teacher was black, and oneof the best teachers Ive ever had. She taught us how different culturescelebrate holidays, including Kwanzaa, which I had never heard of. I wasintrigued, and realized how ignorant I was of other cultures. Indeed, my firstfew years in Houston were a cultural enlightenment. Not all I learned wasgood, though. Violence, cursing, stealing, drug abuse and other behaviors thatwere rare in the country were prominent. At first it shocked me, but I soon grewaccustomed to it and eventually learned to tolerate it. This acceptance ofdifferences was one of the many things city life gradually taught me. Thetransition in my life continually reveals to me how naive my old views were.While once I had aspirations of becoming a farmer, the move to the city convincedme that perhaps I should strive for more. My parents have risked much and givenup more to allow their children greater opportunities to succeed. Livingin such two distinct cultures has helped me discover that change is necessary andimportant in developing unprovincial views on life. By incorporating positiveattributes from each culture and learning from them, I have developed a solidvalue system that will help me survive adversities. My knowledge of theselife-styles provides me with a unique view on life which will, I hope, enable meto further understand other cultures.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Self-Reliance Essays (287 words) - Virtue, Self-Reliance, De, Peace

Self-Reliance Self-Reliance: It can mean two things to some people and it does to me. Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles. Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. These are the two quotes I chose because they both mean something to me and helped me get what Emerson meant when he was writing. The first quote is. Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles. This is the first type of self-reliance is purely self- reliance in what you do with your life how you live it and what principles you learn and take from others. So when Emerson says Nothing can bring you peace but yourself he means it doesnt go looking for peace thru someone else find it yourself with your ideals and principles. And then the second quote Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. This look on self-reliance is purely within its saying that to trust your ideals and principles you have to first trust yourself, and this is something that I personally struggled with when I was deciding on whether or not I wanted to go back to college I didnt trust myself to complete the class work and feared I would only end up failing again. In conclusion Emerson piece on self-reliance has many different ways to interpret it some can be seen as negative and others positive to me his whole essay was simply trying to get people to think about how they go about things and to believe in themselves instead of the norm of the world.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Childs Relationships with Others Essay Example

Childs Relationships with Others? Essay Temperamental and self-control differences persist to receive strong interest in the psychological and educational studies. The examination of learning have long highlighted the role that temperamental characteristics and accepting the differences can play in promoting successful response to the learning environment. Currently, education is challenged to meet the needs of students, in order to confine talents and human resources. Discerning temperaments of at-risk youth comparative to learning and instructional practices is a fruitful avenue in which actions can be taken to help each student’s unique approach to the educational environment. In this manner, adolescence presents some of the utmost challenges to educators as they try to accommodate for temperamental considerations. As such, childhood and adolescence is an chance in which support of learning temperaments is helpful to both educators and students alike. Such individualization is practical and stresses the significance of working with student empathies. Shaffer (1996) wrote that temperament refers to an individuals behavioral style as he or she relates to other persons and to the inanimate environment. It is generally considered to develop early in life; to persist, with some modification, across the life span; and to be at least partially rooted in the individuals genetic makeup. In the sibling relations studies reviewed below, the investigators have been particularly interested in children who display low persistence, high activity, and strong expression of emotions such as frustration and anger. These researchers hypothesized that such a temperament in any sibling would be associated with higher levels of conflict and lower levels of positivist in sibling relationships (p. 1228). We will write a custom essay sample on Childs Relationships with Others? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Childs Relationships with Others? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Childs Relationships with Others? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This hypothesis has received support from data indicating that temperament, measured using maternal reports, can contribute to sibling relationship quality from the relationships beginning. Children with difficult, less adaptable temperaments displayed greater distress in response to the birth of a sibling than did easier, more adaptive children. Similarly, mothers participating in a study reported that children who experienced more negative moods in general were more likely to withdraw and experience sleeping problems after the birth of a sibling than were children who scored below the median on negative mood. Children who were extremely emotionally intense and experienced frequent negative moods were clingier after the birth of a brother or sister than were children with easier temperaments. Children who were more withdrawn before the birth showed less positive interest in their new siblings than did more outgoing children (Carey, 1998, p. 522-529). Temperament continues to impact the sibling relationship as it develops. Sibling temperaments were found to account for unique variance in explaining qualitative aspects of young childrens sibling relationships. Children with highly active temperaments experienced four times as much sibling conflict than did less active children. Similarly, younger siblings directed more agonism toward highly active older siblings. They also found that, for girls, high activity, high emotional intensity, and low persistence were associated with greater sibling conflict; for boys, sibling conflict was predicted most reliably from these temperamental characteristics in younger brothers (Carey, 1998, p. 530-533). Temperament is composed of nine dimensions including activity, adaptability, distractibility, approach/withdrawal, intensity, mood, persistence, rhythmicity, and threshold. These dimensions cluster into three temperament constellations, or behavioral styles, known as the easy, difficult, or slow-to-warm-up style. The difficult style, often associated with preterm infants, is composed of five dimensions, denoting a child who is arrhythmic, withdrawing, and not adaptable, and who displays intense moods that are often negative. Use of such categorization, however, has been questioned and criticized in the literature as inappropriate or hasty when applying such a negative label to the still developing child (Shaffer, 1883, p. 1228-1231). Although the manifestation of temperament is expected to change appropriately with behavior development, temperament characteristics are presumed to be innate and generally stable throughout childhood. It is possible that many differences in temperament ratings between preterm and full-term infants are related to developmental differences. Poor motor control, abnormal reflexes, and lower autonomic regulation have been found in preterm infants. Newcomb (1993) indicates that lower gestational age has been associated with less vigor, less motor activity, and a lesser ability to orient. Preterm infants tend to display extremes in neurobehavioral assessment (e.g., high or low intensity of crying or motor activity) that moderates with increasing gestational age at birth. The preterm infants lack of cortical inhibitory or modulatory (p. 101) ability may be associated with adaptability (modifying reactions to stimuli), intensity (energy level of response), or other temperament dimensions. Th us, although it is unknown empirically, what we refer to as temperament manifestations in preterm infants may be related to differences in temporal maturity of underlying neurobehavioral processes (Newcomb, 1993, p. 99-128). Changes in temperament over time may influence, or be influenced by, infant-parent interactions. Hospitalized preterm infants display more active sleep and smiles during infant-parent interactions, in contrast to more sleep-wake transitions, jitters, and body movement during infant-nurse interactions. Once at home, parents assume more responsibility for routine care, yet interactions between parents and preterm infants tend to be less satisfying than interactions between parents and full-term infants. Preterm infants are less able to coordinate their behavioral cycles of affect and attention during social interaction, and their cues are often hard to read. In comparison, term infants are more likely to lead interactions (Shaffer, 1996, p. 865-877). How are the characteristics of an individual childs temperament related to the quality of that childs relationships with others? In order to answer this question we will consider factors that take part in forming those characteristics of child’s temperament. The major factor is the family, the environment where a child is brought up. Dodge (1990) suggests that â€Å"childrens home lives have undergone considerable changes over the past few decades. As a result of increased out-of-wedlock childbearing and rising levels of divorce, more children spend at least part of their childhood years in single-parent households. Employing the theoretical perspective of the life course through which parents lives are viewed as impacting those of their children, we first question how current family and parental work circumstances shape young childrens emotional well-being and behavior†Ã‚   (p. 129-132). To place our research questions in theoretical context, we draw on several key principles of the life-course paradigm: the interdependencies of lives; the role of human agency in decision making and action; and the importance of the timing of life events. A central tenet of the life-course perspective is that the lives of one generation are linked to the lives of other generations. The linked lives of parents and children are particularly important because although children often have little voice in the decision making of their parents lives, the family and work circumstances of adults define childrens living situations to a large extent by influencing the levels of various social, economic, and human capital resources available to children within the household (Dodge, 1990, p. 137-142). Although childrens lives are impacted by a range of social institutions outside of the family, such as schools and neighborhoods, the fates of family members are tightly linked, and families retain a key role in the social and behavioral development of children. Family structure, the provision of skills and abilities by adult household members and the potential competition for resources from other dependents in the family therefore all help to shape the familial environment in which children are raised. Theoretical framework, families provide financial, human, and social capital for their members, and each of these three facets of capital influence childrens development. In mass communication research, communication climate pertaining to the flow and exchange of information and maintenance of harmony among family members has long been viewed as an important influence on childrens attitudes and behaviors. The Family Communication Patterns (FCP) construct, first developed as a part of a political socialization study, has inspired numerous studies over the past two decades on the influences of parents communication styles. Studies have shown that family communication patterns affect childrens susceptibility to persuasion, their aggressiveness, and their interest in politics, knowledge of political affairs, and political campaign activity, as well as their media use, interpretation of media content, consumer behavior, and materialism (Austin, Roberts, Nass, 1990, p. 54). Although there is abundant empirical evidence demonstrating the important consequences of family communication styles on children, most of these studies have focused on the attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. Little research attention has been devoted to examining the influences of family communication styles on individuals personality development. Consideration of the contribution that temperament might make towards childrens social competence and social status has stemmed from the recognition of particular individual differences that appear, at least in part, to be constitutionally based and that reflect stylistic patterns of behavior. While adaptive or ‘maladjustive’ outcomes are clearly not dependent on the contribution of temperament alone, there is evidence that individual differences in temperament qualities, such as activity level or approach/withdrawal, may be related to childrens social functioning and adjustment within the peer group (Farver Branstetter, 1994, p. 334-340). Research with preschoolers has indicated that individual differences in temperamental characteristics may influence the adjustment children make to the preschool setting, the responses they make to their peers and the quality of their relationships with other children (Farver Branstetter, 1994, p. 341). In general, children with easy temperaments, defined as approachful, adaptive and positive in mood have been found to respond pro-socially to peer distress, have more positive and interactive relationships with friends and peers and be rated as behaviorally adjusted to the preschool environment in terms of cooperation and persistence (Mobley Pullis, 1991, p. 577-586). In contrast, children with difficult temperaments appear to have relationships that are more problematic with their peers and are more likely to exhibit socialization and behavioral problems Although there is evidence to suggest that individual temperamental characteristics may be linked to social adjustment and to frequency of socialization problems, the relationship between temperament, sex and social status has not been explored fully with respect to preschool-aged children. While some previous research has revealed clear sex differences in the display of temperamental characteristics identified as difficult, whether temperamental characteristics are differentially related to social status for boys and for girls are unclear. For example, there is some evidence that the temperament dimension of arousability may be negatively related to peer status for girls, whose play tends to be more sedentary than boys, yet positively related to peer status for boys, at least in early adolescence (Bukowski, Gauze, Hoza, Newcomb, 1993, p. 255-263). Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine sex and social status differences in temperamental characteristics for preschool-aged children. It was expected that, in contrast to rejected children, popular children would exhibit fewer of those temperamental characteristics identified as difficult such as high activity levels, high distractibility, and negative mood. Although a difficult temperament may be predictive of low peer status for both boys and girls, it was expected that not only may boys be more likely to display difficult temperaments than girls, but that contextual features such as the differing interactional styles and norms for behavior that exist within boys groups and within girls groups may mediate the relationship between temperamental characteristics and social status. Given the importance of positive peer relationships for childrens concurrent and future adjustment, examination of the linkages between temperamental characteristics, sex and social status appears to be important in understanding the influence and functional significance that temperament may have with respect to behavioral individuality an d social adjustment (McLeod, Fitzpatrick, Glynn, Fallis, 1982, p. 95-110). The strong links between temperamental characteristics and social status evident in the present findings suggest, as Brownell and Hazen (1999) propose, that individual temperamental characteristics might be more directly translated into individual differences in styles of social interaction during early childhood than in later school years. While individual differences in peer competence among older children may be more a function of complex interactions between temperamental characteristics and social experiences, during the early childhood years, temperament may make a large contribution towards both the quantity and the quality of childrens interactions with their peers. Thus, a child initially rejected by his or her peers due to temperamental characteristics may fail to develop the effective interpersonal skills necessary for mature and competent social behavior. The present results therefore indicate that intervention programs for children at preschool age need to take into acco unt the particular temper amental styles, which appear to be associated with rejection in early childhood (p. 403-413). As models of social competence emphasize the ongoing interactions between individuals and the environment, competent behavior must include the ability to generate behavioral responses, which match the situational requirements of the social environment (Wine Smye, 1981, p. 25). The temperament differences in Task Distractibility between boys and girls identified in the present study appear to be relevant to adjustment both within the peer group and, more broadly within the preschool environment (Mobley Pullis, 1991, p. 586). Thus, future research into the social learning experiences of young boys which appear to interact with early temperamental characteristics to place boys at greater risk for the development of social difficulties would appear to be well worthwhile.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Free Essays on A Males Territory

Hibbett Sports From the moment that I walked into the doors of Hibbett Sports, until the moment I left, it was obvious that I was in a male’s domain. The clothes, equipment, organization, and even the employees were all screaming out masculinity. The lighting was poor, the colors were dark, and it smelled like a locker room. It was apparent that in this store the merchandise was meant for the male gender. I find this quite interesting given that women play sports equally as much as men do. Everything about this store was formed to fit the interest of men. It was completely different from that of a women’s store and because of this I felt a little uncomfortable during my two visits to this store. The first sign that this store is male territory is through the smell of the store. The second that you walk into Hibbett Sports, you are knocked down by the stench of a locker room. Men like this smell because they can relate to it. They recall the times after their football, basketball, or baseball games. It reminds them of whatever memory that they may have of being a strong, sporty, sweaty man. Women on the other hand, do not like this smell at all. A women’s store would have a sweet, fruity, or sexy aroma. This would be a type of smell that they can relate to. Because of the smell of Hibbetts when you first walk in, women are already being turned off and will not want to continue into the store. That makes this predominately male territory and women do not feel welcome here. Secondly, the colors of the store make this male’s territory. Men prefer darker colors while women prefer lighter colors. From the signs, to the walls, to the carpet, and to the clothes, everything in Hibbett Sports is dark. The sign is black, the walls are gray, and the carpet is green. It almost resembles a football stadium with black signs, gray bleachers, and green turf. This definitely appeals to men. Along with the exterior ... Free Essays on A Males Territory Free Essays on A Males Territory Hibbett Sports From the moment that I walked into the doors of Hibbett Sports, until the moment I left, it was obvious that I was in a male’s domain. The clothes, equipment, organization, and even the employees were all screaming out masculinity. The lighting was poor, the colors were dark, and it smelled like a locker room. It was apparent that in this store the merchandise was meant for the male gender. I find this quite interesting given that women play sports equally as much as men do. Everything about this store was formed to fit the interest of men. It was completely different from that of a women’s store and because of this I felt a little uncomfortable during my two visits to this store. The first sign that this store is male territory is through the smell of the store. The second that you walk into Hibbett Sports, you are knocked down by the stench of a locker room. Men like this smell because they can relate to it. They recall the times after their football, basketball, or baseball games. It reminds them of whatever memory that they may have of being a strong, sporty, sweaty man. Women on the other hand, do not like this smell at all. A women’s store would have a sweet, fruity, or sexy aroma. This would be a type of smell that they can relate to. Because of the smell of Hibbetts when you first walk in, women are already being turned off and will not want to continue into the store. That makes this predominately male territory and women do not feel welcome here. Secondly, the colors of the store make this male’s territory. Men prefer darker colors while women prefer lighter colors. From the signs, to the walls, to the carpet, and to the clothes, everything in Hibbett Sports is dark. The sign is black, the walls are gray, and the carpet is green. It almost resembles a football stadium with black signs, gray bleachers, and green turf. This definitely appeals to men. Along with the exterior ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Impact of Immigration Law to the HR Field Research Paper

The Impact of Immigration Law to the HR Field - Research Paper Example President Obama’s immigration executive action will lead to significant changes in the wage structure of the US labor market that will demand the attention of HR planners and recruiters for a smooth transition. Various organizations and think tanks interested in the US immigration debate have given their analysis and forecasts on the potential impact of the president’s executive action on the US labor market. According to the Council of Economic Advisors estimates, the executive actions by President Obama are projected to raise the average wages of native-born American citizens by 0.3% (or $170 in today’s dollars) over the coming 10 years. The CAP estimates that wages will increase by an average of 8.5% over the next one year for individuals who will be eligible for new and deferred action (Center for American Progress). These wage gains will be driven by the potential eligibility for work permits, better job matches in the market as well as a reduced probability of being taken advantage of being employers. The FPI, on the other hand, estimates a 5 to 10 percent increase in wages over the next five years for the projected 5 million workers who will be expected to gain work authorization through the president executive's expanded deferred action (Garcia, 2013). The NAID Center approximates that the deferred action on 3.8 million undocumented immigrants could raise labor income by as much as $ 7.1 billion in the order’s first two years of implementation (â€Å"Executive Action†, 2014).

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

A Strategic Approach to Tackling VAT Losses Case Study

A Strategic Approach to Tackling VAT Losses - Case Study Example That means you do not have to worry about importing them. You also do not need documents which are necessary for importing goods. These reasons are enough for you to accept the proposal given to you. But before coming to any conclusion let me caution you that there can be some limitations in the proposal which need to be taken care of. The most important hindrance in your way of accepting the proposal can be what is termed as the 'carousel' or 'missing trader fraud'. Now what is this 'carousel' or 'missing trader fraud' all about For explaining this, we need to elaborate further the exhibit-1. We will get a different picture which is shown in exhibit-2(Andy Leggett, 2006) given below. The MTIC fraud is explained below for your convenience. Before I can tell you something about carousel fraud and its various implications, let us have a look at missing trader intra community (MTIC) fraud because carousel fraud is a type of MTIC fraud. In MTIC fraud, a trader imports goods to one state (say UK) from EU member states without paying VAT and sells these goods to other trader after which the first trader goes missing. The first trader, however, has to pay the VAT. This type of VAT fraud was highlighted in November 2001 in the HM Treasury and HM Customs and Excise paper, Tackling Indirect Tax Fraud, Exhibit-2 that was published as part of the 2001 Pre-Budget Report. In this paper, MTIC fraud was described as follows: "VAT intra-Community missing trader fraud is a systematic criminal attack on the VAT system, which has been detected in many EU Member States. In essence, fraudsters obtain VAT registration to acquire goods VAT free from other Member States. They then sell on the goods at VAT inclusive prices and disappear without paying over the VAT paid by their customers to the tax authorities. The fraud is usually carried out very quickly; with the fraudsters disappearing by the time the tax authorities follow up the registration with their regular assurance activities." Thus in this type of fraud, a trader can disappear easily without paying VAT which means a loss for the states' economy. This fact is shown in the exhibit-2 below. In this exhibit it can be observed that there is a tax loss of 157,500 due to non payment of VAT by Trader B. One important thing to be mentioned here is that Intra-EU trades in goods statistics rely on the VAT forms which are a correct record of trade transactions. MTIC fraud affects the measurement of trade in goods through the role of the missing trader. There are two types of MTIC fraud. These are acquisition fraud and carousel fraud. Acquisition fraud is where the goods are imported from the EU into the UK by a trader who then goes missing without completing a VAT return or Intrastat declaration. The 'missing trader' therefore has a VAT free supply of goods, as they make no payment of the VAT monies due on the goods. He sells the goods to a buyer in the UK

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Construction and De-construction of Race Essay Example for Free

Construction and De-construction of Race Essay Races exist. They are everywhere in the world. In our history classes, we have discussed the existence of Caucasians, Mongoloids, Negroes, etc. The members of each racial group have common characteristics that make them distinct from other groups. However, in the quest to understand better the human variations across races, professionals from various fields – medicine, biology, anthropology, etc – have conducted studies to prove, or disprove, the existence of races in the scientific sense. In Modern Human Variation: An Introduction to Contemporary Human Biological Diversity , three models of human classification were discussed. First is the typological model which â€Å"focuses on a small number of traits that are readily observable from a distance such as skin color, hair form, body build, and stature. † Diamond (1994) gives truth to this, citing that â€Å"all native Swedes differ from all native Nigerians in appearance† and that one race cannot be mistaken with the other. However, Diamond also argued that â€Å"there are many different, equally valid procedures for defining races, and those different procedures yield very different classifications. † He further discussed other studies in which the differing geographical locations of humans contribute to their varying human traits. Factors such as survival and sexual selection, and a third possible explanation which is no function at all, were considered in human classification. Again, inconsistencies of this theory were later discovered, showing evidences that â€Å"among topical peoples, anthropologists love to stress the dark skins of African blacks, people of the southern Indian peninsula, and New Guineans and love to forget the pale skins of Amazonian Indians and Southeast Asians living at the same latitudes† (Diamond, 2004). With these contentions, the typological model is contradicted. On the other hand, the population model â€Å"looks for breeding populations first and then considers the anatomical and physiological traits that may distinguish them. † This means looking into a single group where members mate only with people within the group. The same article discussed, however, that with the relatively convenient means of intercontinental travel, intermixture of humanity has emerged, thus making the population model relatively ambiguous in the study of human variation today. The third model, the clinal model, â€Å"is based on the fact that genetically inherited traits most often change gradually in frequency from one geographic area to another. † With this framework, the clinal model may seem to be the soundest theory on human classification. However, it cannot be fully relied on since â€Å"the distribution of some traits is partly discontinuous†¦ these can be understood as results of historical migrations or exclusive breeding within more or less closed communities. † We have tried to construct races through scientific studies but failed to establish its exact definition. This brings us back to again to the crux of our contention. Do races exist? Yes, they do. People from all over the world have been grouped based on their physical characteristics, culture, religion, ethnicity, and other factors. Groups were given names so that individuals can easily identify in which group they belong. This is how lay humans understand the word â€Å"race† today. The concept has been constructed to satisfy the human need for order. But as Goodman (2005) puts it, â€Å"race is not a mere social construct, but as a lived experience has devastatingly real effects. † The construction of race led to the emergence of racial discrimination, making some â€Å"races† assume superiority over others. With this assumption, people of the â€Å"superior race† consequently assumed power over the â€Å"minorities†. The political advantage of the â€Å"superior race† gave way for them to gain more access to resources and wealth. Discrimination further reached the social sphere, with the â€Å"minorities† being labeled as the â€Å"ugly† people since their physical traits differ, most of the time in the opposite manner, from those of the â€Å"superior race†. Looking back through world history, our books tell us stories of some â€Å"races† (e. g. Africans) who were enslaved by the â€Å"superior races† during the earlier times. At present, racism still exists in the form of prejudice to certain â€Å"races† that have been generalized to possess certain characteristics. In Asia, the revolt of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has caused prejudice against Muslims in most parts of the world, generalizing these people as terrorists. Accordingly, the social construction of races have inflicted numerous, and perhaps even millions, of incidents of social injustice worldwide. Then again, combining the clinal and population models, Keita et al (2004) contend that â€Å"the nonexistence of ‘races’ or subspecies in modern humans does not preclude substantial genetic variation that may be localized to regions or populations. † The authors cited a recent study on the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human genome, which can â€Å"make forensic distinctions possible even within restricted regions such as Scandinavia. † It was however clarified that â€Å"because this identification is possible does not mean that there is a level of differentiation equal to ‘races’. † We cannot totally negate the scientific studies conducted and currently being conducted on human biological variation. These studies, as in the point of view of Keita et al have policy implications for health studies. While Keita et al advocate for more refined and detailed study on human biological variation, Goodman is also supported in his position to â€Å"call for a new vocabulary and concepts† to study the same. This way, the widely-known concept of race may be de-constructed. Difference in skin color, hair form, body build, religion, culture, ethnicity, and others, does not make an individual less of a human, and as such these characteristics should not be seen as barriers to social justice.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Microbiology for Environmental Engineering

Microbiology for Environmental Engineering By Georgios Tzelepis Microorganisms play a major role in controlling water and waste quality and every biological process is based on the action of microorganisms. Bacteria constitute an important group of microorganisms which are directly related to Environmental Engineering because of their crucial role in wastewater treatment. They are single celled prokaryotic organisms with a structurally and functionally simple form and various shapes, such as spherical, rod-shaped or spiral. One main characteristic of the bacterial cell is the lack of unit membrane system with exception the cytoplasmic membrane. The identification of bacteria is based on a number of different criteria including their morphological (shape, size), physiological and genetic characteristics. Their reproduction is based on the binary split with formation time of about 20 minutes. Bacteria are sensitive to pH changes and they survive under neutral conditions, although some of them can survive in a highly acidic environment. Regarding th eir survival temperature, they are divided into psychrophilic, mesophilic and thermophilic. Bacteria are very sensitive to temperature changes and they have an optimum growth temperature. (Darakas, 2016) Bacteria have the capacity to degrade the organic substances (pollutants) and this is the reason why they are the most important group of organisms in terms of the public health engineering, since biological waste water treatment processes are based on their activities. The assimilation of pollutants is mainly achieved by the biological self-cleaning of the water thanks to microorganisms and specifically bacteria. The main three points of interest in the wastewater treatment is the microorganisms (bacteria), the included organic matter which constitutes food for microorganisms and the oxygen which is necessary for the energy and survival of microorganisms.    Generally, the metabolic diversity of organisms, and more specifically of bacteria, firstly depends on the energy source. Energy is important for the chemical reactions and is obtained from environmental sources. When the sources are chemicals, the species are called chemotrophs, while when the energy is derived from the light they are called phototrophic species. However, some bacteria have the ability to use both energy sources based on conditions. Second classification is based on the carbon source. When they are organic compounds they are called chemoheterotrophs or photoheterotrophs respectively. Otherwise when inorganic compounds are used, bacteria are called chemoautotrophs or photoautotrophs. Finally, chemotroph bacteria which metabolise organic chemicals for energy are called chemoorganotrophs. Contrariwise, those that use inorganic chemicals are called chemolithotrophs. There are two basic types of metabolism for chemoorganotrophs; fermentation, in which the metabolism of the substrate is without external oxidizing agent, and respiration, in which there is an external oxidizing agent. Both types of metabolism can convert a primary source of energy to one which can be used by the cells. 2.1.1 Carbon source Bacteria that use carbon dioxide for the majority (or all) of their carbon requirements are called autotrophs. The obligate autotrophs that are able to use only CO2 as a source of carbon use simple energy substrates and they are either chemolithotrophs or photolithotrophs. (Singleton, 2005) In autotroph bacteria carbon dioxide from the environment is used to form complex compounds, but also there is the situation that carbon dioxide is incorporated in these compounds and called fixed. There are two common pathways for this fixation, the Calvin cycle and the reductive TCA cycle. Autotrophs are able to thrive in very harsh environments, such as deep sea vents, due to their lack of dependence on outside sources of carbon other than carbon dioxide. (Yates et al., 2016) On the other hand, most of the known species of bacteria are heterotrophic, both aerobic and anaerobic. They use as a main source of carbon complex carbon compounds derived from other organisms, with the most significant the glucose, alcohol, and organic acids. However, there are specialised heterotrophic bacteria capable also of decomposing cellulose (actinomycetes), keratin, hydrocarbons, and other substances. Heterotrophs are only able to thrive in environments that are capable of sustaining other forms of life due to their dependence on these organisms for carbon sources. (Lester Birkett, 1999) 2.2 Energy source Microorganisms, and more specifically bacteria, require food to obtain energy. Phototrophic bacteria are mostly aquatic organisms and obtain energy using radiant energy (light), usually via photosynthesis. This happens through specialized pigments that they contain in order to form energy molecules. Generally, photosynthetic bacteria can be divided in two categories, these who accomplish the photosynthesis with production of oxygen (aerobically) and those without (unaerobically). (Singleton, 2005) Chemotrophs are organisms that obtain their energy by metabolisng chemicals from the environment, through the oxidation of inorganic molecules, such as iron and magnesium. They are divided in two different categories, chemoautotrophs and chemoheterotrophs, with their difference already been described. (Boundless, 2016) Carbon source of heterotrophic bacteria can be either soluble and colloidal organics of untreated waste (BOD) or endogenous carbon microorganisms, i.e. the carbon putrescent dead cells or methanol (CH3OH), which is the best organic substrate to the denitrification. (Darakas, 2016) 2.3 Electron acceptor As mentioned, all the bacterial cells have to convert a primary source of energy into forms that can be used. Some cells can convert a primary energy source to an electrochemical form which consists of a gradient of ions between the two surfaces of cytoplasmic membrane. Chemotroph and phototroph bacteria form high-energy compounds from a primary energy source using different techniques. (Singleton, 2005) Respiration is a type of metabolism in which a substrate is metabolized with the help of an external oxidizing agent. Oxygen can work as the exogenous oxidizing agent having aerobic respiration, or organic oxidizing agents can be used instead in an anaerobic respiration. Despite the fact that the oxidizing agent can be inorganic or organic, in chemoorganotrophs, the substrate is always an organic compound. (Singleton, 2005) Oxygen is the final electron acceptor for the aerobic respiration. The sugar is completely broken down to carbon dioxide and water, yielding a maximum of 38 molecules of ATP per molecule of glucose. Electrons are transferred to oxygen using the electron transport chain (ETC), a system of enzymes and cofactors located in the cytoplasmic membrane and arranged so that the passage of electrons down the chain is coupled with the movement of protons (hydrogen ions) across the membrane and out of the cell. ETC induces the movement of positively charged hydrogen ions to the outside of the cell and negatively charged ions to its interior. This ion gradient results in the acidification of the external medium and an energized plasma membrane with an electrical charge of 150 to 200 millivolts. The generation of ion gradients is a common aspect of energy generation and storage in all living organisms. The gradient of protons is used directly by the cell for many processes, including the active tr ansport of nutrients and the rotation of flagella. The protons also can move from the exterior of the cell into the cytoplasm by passing through a membrane enzyme called the F1F0-proton-translocating ATPase, which couples this proton movement to ATP synthesis. (Kadner Rogers, 2015) Bacteria that are able to use respiration produce far more energy per sugar molecule than do fermentative cells, because the complete oxidation of the energy source allows complete extraction of all of the energy available. (Kadner Rogers, 2015) Respiration can also occur under anaerobic conditions. Anaerobic respiration uses external oxidizing agents such as nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2), sulfate (SO42), or fumarate in place of oxygen. Depending on the different types or conditions, the electron donor (substrate) used by chemoorganotrophs in anaerobic respiration is of various organic compounds. The energy yields available to the cell using these acceptors are lower than in respiration with oxygen, but they are still substantially higher than the energy yields available from fermentation. The utilization of CO2as a terminal electron acceptor is limited to a group of bacteria called methanogens and this process requires a strongly reduced environment. This procedure produces methane (CH4) which can be a problem in some instances like landfill sites. (Maier, 1999) All the bacteria have an optimum growth temperature where their growth is faster, while they also have a specific range of temperature into which they can only grow. Most of the bacteria are mesophilic and they grow in temperatures between 15 and 45 degrees of Celsius. Thermophilic are bacteria with growth temperature over 45 degrees of Celsius, while psychrophilic are the bacteria with growth temperature under 15 degrees. 3.1 Low temperature It is well known that bacteria as well as various other forms of life survive and thrive optimally in moderate conditions of temperature, pressure, pH and other environmental parameters. However, there is also evidence of bacteria life in extreme environments. For example bacteria were found to exist in the very acidic river Rio Tino while also bacteria were detected in subzero environments like in Lake Vostok even in depth of 3600 meters, below the surface ice. (Chattopadhyay Sengupta, 2013) At low temperature, bacteria are challenged with a number of difficulties due to decrease in the rate of biochemical reactions that sustain the life. Bacteria taken from low temperature environments were found with increased branched chain, short chain, anteiso and unsaturated fatty acids. They were also found to synthesize more cis fatty acids in preference to trans fatty acids. All these factors are contributing in the increase of membrane fluidity. Moreover, in order to adjust with the low enthalpy and the reduced atomic and molecular motions at low temperature, they achieve flexibility through reduction in strength and number of non-covalent interactions. Finally a high level of post-transcriptional modification of t-RNA by dihydrouridine also has a major role in psychrophiles. Dihydrouridine unsettles the stacking that stabilizes the RNA. (Chattopadhyay Sengupta, 2013) 3.2 High temperature Thermophilic bacteria are common in soil and volcanic habitats and have a limited species configuration. Examination of metabolic pathways and regulatory mechanisms in thermophiles proves that thermophilic bacteria have almost the same properties commonly found in mesophilic bacteria, with the main difference being specific molecular mechanisms, important in high temperature biological stability and activity. As a consequence of growth at high temperature and unique macromolecular properties, thermophilic bacteria can possess high metabolic rates, physically and chemically stable enzymes than similar mesophilic species. Thermophilic processes appear more stable, rapid and facilitate reactant activity and product recovery. Analysis of important biomolecules in thermophilic bacteria has revealed subtle structural differences in proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. Some of these differences have not been observed in mesophilic bacteria. For instance the membrane lipids of extreme thermop hiles contain more saturated and straight chain fatty acids than mesophiles. This allows thermophilic bacteria to grow at higher temperatures by providing the correct degree of fluidity required for membrane function. Finally the explanation for high temperature stability of tRNA in Thermus species is that Thermus transfer RNA contains more guanine plus cytosine bases in the specific base-paired region, which provides greater hydrogen bonding and increased thermal stability. Also, the base-paired region in tRNAs from Thermus contains more thiolated thymidine which provides a stronger stacking force inside the molecule. (Zeikus, 1979) The restoration, maintenance and protection of the environment with the help of biological agents in general and bacteria more specifically are significantly important in terms of sustainability in the environment. Hence, in many cases, bacteria and environmental engineering go hand in hand and both are interdependent on each other. Their main connection is the removal and treatment of the wastes, solid or liquid, from various sources like the industrial, domestic and other. There are many examples of the use of bacteria especially in waste and wastewater treatment, where some useful characteristics of bacteria are used.   Ã‚   4.1 Wastewater treatment Biological treatment is one of the most widely used removal methods as well as for partial or complete stabilization of biologically degradable substances in wastewaters. General characteristics of wastewaters are measured in terms of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), and Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS). Bacteria provide the largest component of the microbial community in all biological wastewater treatment processes, and numbers in excess of 106 bacteria/ml of wastewater are frequently encountered. 4.1.1 Activation Sludge Activated sludge is a process that has been adopted worldwide as a secondary biological treatment for domestic wastewaters. In the activated sludge process the incoming wastewater is mixed and aerated with existing biological sludge (microorganisms). Organics in the wastewater come into contact with the microorganisms and are utilized as food and oxidized to CO2, and H2O. The microorganisms using the organics as food they reproduce, grow, and die. While the microorganisms grow, are mixed together by the movement of air so individual organisms join an active mass of microbes called activated sludge. The wastewater flows continuously into an aeration tank where air is injected to mix the activated sludge with the wastewater and to supply oxygen needed for microbes to breakdown the organic materials. This mixture of activated sludge and wastewater in the aeration tank is called mixed liquor suspended solids and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids. The mixed liquor is sent to the slud ge handling disposal (second part of activation sludge method). A part of this mass precipitates while the rest flows back to the aeration tank in order to maintain sufficient microbial population levels. This is the called activated sludge. The microorganisms in activated sludge generally are composed of 70 to 90% organic and 10 to 30% inorganic matter. The microorganisms generally found in activated sludge consist of bacteria (mostly), fungi and protozoa. 4.1.2 Nitrogen and Phosphorus removal Nitrogen and phosphorus are two essential elements in terms of the waste treatment. The nitrogen compounds and the phosphates existing in wastewaters are very important for the survival of the bacteria although they should be removed in order to avoid problems of deoxygenation and eutrophication in the final recipient. (Bitton, 2010) Nitrification The principal organisms involved in nitrification processes belong into two categories, Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter. These bacteria are considered to be strictly autotrophs since they derive energy for growth and synthesis from the oxidation of inorganic nitrogen and carbon (CO2) compounds. Nitrosomonas catalyse oxidation of ammonia to nitrite using molecular oxygen, while Nictobacter further oxidize nitrite to nitrate using oxygen derived from the water molecule. It should be mentioned that some some soluble forms of c-BOD can inhibit the activity of nitrifying bacteria since they are able to enter the cells of nitrifying bacteria and inactivate their enzyme systems. (Horan, 1989) Denitrification Denitrification is a process by which certain species of bacteria under anoxic conditions reduce nitrate nitrogen to the gaseous end-products of N2, NO, or N2O which can then escape from solution to the atmosphere. Unlike other nitrogen compounds, the gaseous forms of nitrogen have no significant effect on environmental quality. The presence of oxidized nitrogen and organic carbon are essential properties for denitrification to proceed. Denitrifying bacteria are composed of heterotrophic organisms. The most common denitrifying bacteria are Bacillus denitrijicans, Micrococcus denitrijicans and more. (Horan, 1989) Phosphorus removal The anaerobic-oxic process (most commonly used), consists of a modified activated sludge system that includes an anaerobic upstream of the conventional aeration tank. During the anaerobic phase, inorganic phosphorus is released from the cells as a result of polyphosphate hydrolysis. The energy liberated is used for the uptake of BOD from wastewater. (Bitton, 2010)Removal efficiency is high when the BOD/phosphorus ratio exceeds 10. During the aerobic phase, soluble phosphorus is taken up by bacteria that synthesize polyphosphates using the energy released from BOD oxidation. The anaerobic-oxic process results in BOD removal and produces sludge which is rich in phosphorus. The key features of this process are the relatively low solid retention time and high organic loading rates. (Cheremisinoff, 1997) 4.1.3 Anaerobic Digestion Major applications of anaerobic digestion are the stabilization of concentrated sludges produced from the treatment of especially industrial wastes. The digestion is a complex biochemical process in which several groups of anaerobic and facultative organisms again simultaneously absorb and break down organic matter and can be described as a two-phase process. In the first phase, acid-forming organisms convert the complex organic substrate to simple organic acids. Little change occurs in the total amount of organic material in the system, with decrease in ph . Second phase involves conversion of the organic acids to principally methane and carbon dioxide. The anaerobic process is essentially controlled by the methane producing bacteria. Methane formers are very sensitive to pH, substrate composition, and temperature. If the pH drops below 6,methane formation stops, and there is no decrease in organic content of the sludge. One characteristic of the methane bacteria is that they are hi ghly active in the mesophilic and thermophilic ranges. (Cheremisinoff, 1997) 4.2 Solid Waste Treatment 4.2.1 Composting Composting is the biological decomposition and stabilization of organic substrates. Each gram of decaying compost contains millions of beneficial microorganisms that work to break down organic matter. Of the microorganisms present, 80 to 90 percent are bacteria, including actinomycetes and aerobic bacteria. Aerobic are separated in three different varieties, each of which is active at different phases of the decomposition process. Psychrophilic bacteria (during winter) work on the initial organic matter, at temperatures around 12 degrees Celsius. These bacteria raise the temperature to 20 C, at which time, the mesophilic bacteria take over. These bacteria work at moderate to warm temperatures between 20 and 38 C. At 38 C, the thermophilic bacteria take over, raising the temperature to 70 C. Once this happens, the process starts over again with the addition of new materials. Actinomycete bacteria appear during the late stages of composting to clean up remaining materials that are diff icult for aerobic bacteria to break down. They are responsible for breaking down cellulose, proteins, lignin and starches. References Bitton G., (2010), Activated Sludge Process, in Wastewater Microbiology, 4th Edition, Hoboken, NJ, USA, John Wiley Sons, Inc. Boundless, (2016), Chemoautotrophs and Chemoheterotrophs, Boundless Microbiology, Available from: https://www.boundless.com/microbiology/textbooks/boundless-microbiology-textbook/microbial-metabolism-5/types-of-metabolism-41/chemoautotrophs-and-chemoheterotrophs-285-6153/, [Accessed: 13 January 2017] Chattopadhyay M. and Sengupta D., (2013), Metabolism in bacteria at low temperature: A recent study report., Biosciences, 31, 2, 157-165. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236674848_Metabolism_in_bacteria_at_low_temperature_A_recent_report , [Accessed: 10 January 2017] Cheremisinoff N. P., (1997), Biotechnology for Industrial and municipal wastes, in Biotechnology for Waste and Wastewater Treatment, 1-36 Darakas E., (2016), Environmental Engineering: Process of water and wastewater treatment, Thessaloniki, Sofia Publisher. Horan N., (1989), Biological Wastewater Treatment Systems: Theory and Operation., Chichester, England, Wiley Blackwell. Hurst, C.J. et al., (2002), Manual of Environmental Microbiology, 2nd Edition, Washington, ASM Press. Kadner R. J. and Rogers K., (2015), Bacteria. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/science/bacteria/Salt-and-water. [Accessed: 23 December 2017] Lester, J.N. Birkett, J.W., (1999), Microbiology and Chemistry for Environmental Engineers, London, E. F.N. Spon. Maier, E.M. et al, (1999), Environnemental Microbiology, Academic Press Singleton P., (2005), Bacteria in Biology, Biotechnology and Medicine, 6th Edition, Wiley Smith S. R., (2016), Bacteria, Lecture Slides for the course of Microbiology for Environmental Engineering; MSc of Environmental Engineering, London, Imperial College London. Traumann N. and Olynciw E., (1996), Compost Microorganisms, Cornell Waste Management Institue, New York, Available from: http://compost.css.cornell.edu/microorg.html, [Accessed: 10 January 2017]. Yates V. M., Nakatsu C. H., Miller R. V., Pillai S. D., (2016), Manual of Environmental Microbiology, 4th Edition, ASM Press Zeikus, J.G., (1979), Thermophilic bacteria: ecology, physiology and technology., Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 1, 4, 243-252. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0141022979900437?via%3Dihub, [Accessed: 27 December 2016]

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Onion Rhetorical

With the use of criticism, this press release is used to satirize how advertisement is degrading to Americans, and to mock the ordeal methods used by marketers to sell products to consumers as absurd. By using obvious fictional fads, and somewhat surprisingly effective persuasive writing skills, this article is humorous and completely irrelevant. However with the correct use of persuasive writing techniques, mixed with irrelevant, and unrealistic factual information the authors create a humorous satirical scene.The mocking starts right away in the first paragraph of the piece. The first sentence â€Å"stressed and sore-footed Americans everywhere† starts off the first part of hyperbole with the word â€Å"Everywhere† indicating that they are exaggerating how many American’s have sore feet for not EVERY American has a sore foot. It provides the reader a sense of exaggeration in the piece. In attempt to establish the need the authors use â€Å"Americans everywhere are clamoring for the exciting new MagnaSoles..† This provides the audience with the fact Americans are too caught up with having the new latest item.Next the author uses the diction choices â€Å"stimulate† and â€Å"soothe† to describe the action the magnaSoles will have on the wearer’s feet. This gives an irrelevant outcome for the words stimulate and soothe are not related at all and have different definitions. Towards the end of the paragraph the authors use unrealistic diction choices and sarcasm to make their claim. The word â€Å"Pseudoscience† is used to describe the type of â€Å"5 forms† of science used to make the MagnaSoles. The authors use the word â€Å"pseudoscience† for the word â€Å"Pseudo† means fake, allowing the reader to see that they are talking about fake science.They do this in hopes to have the readers think on the advertisements they watch and how much of the information on those advertisements are a ccurate and true. The authors used â€Å"which stimulate an soothe the wearers feet using no fewer than five forms of pseudoscience† as a form of paradox to help support the idea that they are creating for the audience.The purpose changes throughout the piece. The second paragraph changes purpose compared to paragraph one. In the next few sections/paragraphs the writers are mocking the archetypal use of â€Å"Expert† testimony to authority to  convince consumers of the inaccurately fictional product. The first Rhetorical device used is Testimony to authority, starting with the first sentence. They use â€Å"expert† quotes from the made up Dr. Bluni.The doctor tries to explain how different the insoles are by stating â€Å"what makes MagnaSoles different†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then as he continues the author uses sarcasm by stating â€Å"harnesses the power of magnetism to property align the bio magnetic field around your foot.† The author uses these inaccurate and fictional â€Å"smart words† to show the audience the illogical information used on today’s advertisements is believed by such gullible consumers. As the second paragraph goes on the authors are in hopes to convince their audience to realize that they believe in whatever someone says as long as they are using bold words.In order to do this the writes use another diction choice â€Å"isometrically† which is a made up fiction word. As the piece progresses on the authors use sarcasm to convince the readers that consumers’ are believable to marketers as long as they are using â€Å"scientific-sounding literature†.The authors do so by adding â€Å"according to the scientific- sounding literature trumpeting the new insoles†. Another piece of sarcasm and paradox used in this paragraph to again show the guillableness of the consumers and stupidity of the advertisements in today’s era is â€Å"reflexology.. Establishes correspondence betw een every point on the human foot and another between of the body..†The diction â€Å"Reflexology† is another fictional word the author uses to show how gullible the audience is because it sounds scientific so â€Å"it must be true†. â€Å"Correspondence between every point on the human foot and another between of the body..† is incorrect information. Lastly in that sentence to prove the point the author is trying to get across he also adds â€Å"enabling your soles to heal your entire body as you walk† . With this entire paragraph put the way it is so sarcastically it allows the readers to see how foolish they are when they don’t see past the improper evidence the marketers give off.Moving into the fourth paragraph, which still contains the same purpose as the second paragraph, the authors use paradox to get the claim across to the audience. Such as â€Å" MagnaSoles utilize the healing power of crystals to restimulate dead foot cells with vibrational biofeedback..† The author uses this paradox to show the MagnaSoles â€Å"appearance of usefulness†. As the  satire continues the authors continue to use mocking fiction words such as â€Å"pseudoscience†, â€Å"terranometry†, and â€Å"pseudoscientists†.The authors add in sarcasm in lines 35-38 to help the audience visualize the â€Å"top† science that are issued for advertisements are most likely fakes. Such as â€Å"..developed specially for intergraded products by some of the nation’s top pseudoscientists† . starting line 39 another fictional word is added in to help the purpose of mocking the ordeal methods used by marketers to sell products to consumers, and the word is â€Å"Terranometry† which is the mockly said to be discovered by Dr. Frankel who â€Å"Discovered† Terranomtry.This sets up imagery for the audience to see how the Fake scientists â€Å"discovered† the research for the prod uct and â€Å"Developed the research† for the products in real life are just lying their way through the marketing agencies and the consumers.Lines 43-45 gives off more untruthful information that the writers purposely wrote to help the readers gain more of an understanding that the commercials and advertisements they see day to day have non trustworthy information on them in order to sell better because of the desire for greed. The authors write â€Å"if the frequency of one’s foot is out of alignment with the earth, the entire body will suffer† this helps the author’s claim that they are trying to make. Throughout this paragraph unrealistic diction choices such as â€Å"terranometry† and â€Å"kilofrankels† are used to let the reader see the marketer’s desire for money is so strong that they are willing to lie their way into consumers mind to get a sale.Moving into the final section of the piece the authors use Testimony of authorit y and sarcasm to help the reader see the stupidity of the consumers and to finalize the logic that the science to develop most inventions are false, the need is false, and the product is false. The authors add in a sarcastic quote â€Å"I twisted by ankle something awful†¦ but after wearing MagnaSoles for seven weeks, ive noticed a significant decrease in pain..†This allows the audience to indicate the logic of the consumers gets mentally disrupted by the customers thinking the â€Å"product† healed them when in all truth it was nature. It pushes the reader to understand that when they see a smart looking man advertising a product that they are hypnotized into thinking that the product is useful and effective when it could just as well be junk and fake.Another Rhetorical device the writers use is  Testimony to authority, and the authors use is a quote from a back-pain suffer saying â€Å" why should I pay thousands for therapy when I can pay 20$ for insoles cle arly endorsed by an Intelligent looking man in a white lab coat† This once again lets the readers see how consumers think so little as to what the product actually is and will buy anything as long as the man looks smart or is â€Å"an intelligent looking man in a white lab coat†.The authors try getting the audience to see that the appearance of the man on the advertisement doesn’t mean the product is correct. You can dress up the appearance of a teacher, but the info they say will still be the same. The authors are trying to be paradoxical to try to argue with the illogical audience to have them change views of their own logic, and to not be having faith in unbelievable foolishness.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Popular culture can be seenas a tool for maintaining status quo, discuss this point of view

Marxist school of thought argues that society is structured by and is divided into classes with the ruling one being at the top of the hierarchy. No matter which class takes that social power (hegemony) and becomes the bourgeoisie of its time, there is always a need to maintain it, thus controlling the proletariat by any means at hand. In this essay I will discuss how popular culture is used to achieve this goal according to the Marxist point of view. In the modern times culture and classes are mostly confined within individual states, although interchangeable cultural values and process of globalisation might be developing in our society, they are not yet matured enough to challenge the key capitalist ideology. The state in opinion of such Marxist as Louis Althusser is the kind of governmental formation that arises with capitalism; a state (term ‘nation' can also be applicable in this case) is determined by the capitalist mode of production and formed to protect its interests. It is historically true (whether you are a Marxist or not) that the idea of nations as discrete units is coterminous with capitalism. He sees such political ideologies as democracy for example, as providers of an illusion that all people are equal, and have equal power (and hence masks relations of economic exploitation). ‘Culture is a constant succession of social practices: it is therefore inherently political' (John Fiske) Althusser stated in his works that there are two main ways in which the elite can manipulate lower classes; Ideological State Apparatuses is one of such mechanisms. These are institutions, which generate ideologies, which we as individuals (and groups) then internalize, and act in accordance with. Examples include schools, religions, the family, legal systems, politics, arts, sports and media. As we will see later, popular culture can be used in conjunction with these ISAs. Since the end of 19th century television started to play a major role in our lives. It generates values, ideas and messages that we often do not question thoroughly enough to understand their indented meanings. Thus, arguably it is the tool social elite uses to controls us. Due to the fact that television is often blended into the term popular culture or is defined as significant element of popular culture; I shall base my discussion around its example. According to such theorists as John Fiske and Wiesengrund Adorno mass media promote low cultural concepts (to which all this of popularity are assigned according to elitist point of view) that are meant to keep the members of the lower society classes passive or even narcotized to fuel the capitalist machine. A good example would be a BBC news report that is considered to be trustworthy source of information. Every day before report goes on air its content is carefully edited to fit in with the current government agendas and social norms. Even though issues raised may concern a variety of professional debates within the society, they are simplified and implemented in the standardized language to be easily understood, hence dummed down to the level of the lowest common denominator that is proletariat. Amongst such concepts is commodity culture which links well with the culture industry. First endorses the view that people in modern society are nothing more than a set of branded goods and are easily manipulated. This theory connotes that anything could be purchased in the capitalist society for a certain amount of money that serve as ultimate lever of the classes. John Fiske goes on to expand this idea to suggest that even loyalty, love and friendship values can be corrupted by this type of popular culture. Supporting these statements is a difficult task; however, let us look at some common to all of us things. Non-compulsory military service could suggest purchasable loyalty; it offers good wages and high quality training in exchange for your life (extreme and blunt example yet makes a point). Commodity culture in its turn, as stated by Adorno, keeps us passively satisfied and politically disinterested. It provides us with false needs to take care of and a set of fetishistic desires, which invade our lives. All of this is said to exhaust our economic potential to the point we loose our upward mobility and become an inactive part of the society that poses no threat to the ruling elite's hegemony. Take reality TV shows and property market. Do we really need to know that some of our fellow humans can't sing? Or do we need to keep buying and selling properties until we have large mortgages, high levels of stress and no real power? Yet most of the people master the art of making do that is popular culture values. Finally French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu divided capital into cultural and financial parts. He reasoned that similar to variable access to money and thus power by different classes and social groups, there is a variable possession of cultural and symbolic power. Hence by embracing popular culture we lower our cultural capital that affects our status and meaning within the modern society. Marxist view of the society is quite dated now, yet it still provides alarmingly appropriate to modern day life ideas. Nonetheless, it is important to understand that in its extreme and pure form Marxist view can only lead to wild conspiracy theories and delusional arguments. In my opinion Marxism should be used in conjunction and contrast with its rival theories in order to reach realistic conclusions.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Memorial Day Lesson Plan, Ideas, and Quick Crafts

Memorial Day Lesson Plan, Ideas, and Quick Crafts Traditionally, the end of May is a time for laying wreaths at military graves and paying tribute to the lives sacrificed by our troops in order to preserve our freedoms. These Memorial Day lesson plans will get you and your students back to basics, ready to observe the holiday as much more than simply a day away from school. By teaching your students about the terms veteran and sacrifice you will be instilling pride for our nations military in the next generation. No matter how we feel individually about this war or other conflicts, the men and women who have given their lives for our nation certainly deserve respect. And even if youve forgotten about Memorial Day until now or left your planning to the last minute, the following lesson ideas are so easy to implement, you can use them tomorrow with hardly any prep time. Last Minute Memorial Day Activities Here are five quick lesson ideas to teach your students about Memorial Day. Use these ideas when you are in a pinch, or as an extension activity. 1. Be a Proud American Citizen Do your students know the symbolic meaning of our American flag? Can they recite the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the National Anthem by heart? If not, theres no time like Memorial Day to make sure your students have the basic skills of being a proud American citizen. You can turn this information into a craft activity by following up the instruction with time to color the American flag or illustrating the words of The Star-Spangled Banner. 2. A Million Thanks Use the website for AMillionThanks.org to support the U.S. troops currently serving our country. Through letter writing, you can teach about the meaning of the Memorial Day holiday and, at the same time, offer your students real-life Language Arts practice in the art of letter writing and thank-you notes. 3. Childrens Literature Share informative and entertaining books with your students, such as Christin Ditchfields Memorial Day or Theresa Goldings Memorial Day Surprise. Afterward, have your students draw to express their feelings about the sacrifices of people who fight for our nations freedom. 4. Recite a Poem Ask your students to choose one of these Memorial Day poems and give them time to memorize the poem in order to recite it in front of the class. Memorization and public speaking are two important skills that are often overlooked by teachers, so why not use the Memorial Day holiday as an excuse to focus on them? 5. Create a Crossword Use Puzzlemaker to create a crossword puzzle or word search with Memorial Day vocabulary words customized for your students grade level. Some suggested words might include: veteran, soldiers, military, freedom, sacrifice, country, general, remember, heroes, American, patriotic, generations, and nation. You can start off the lesson with vocabulary instruction and a discussion with your students on the meanings behind these loaded words. You can also peruse this collection of Memorial Day resources for kids and choose from the quizzes, logic puzzles, and online activities that are available for teachers to use for free. Looking for more Memorial Day ideas? Try this collection of activities and patriotic ideas to help you celebrate the men and women who serve our country. Edited By: Janelle Cox

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

My Grandpa essays

My Grandpa essays I am now 15 almost 16 and I can recall being much of a different person a few years ago. Life a few years ago sure was better. Everything used to run smoother and people were rarely sad, but that was when I had my grandpa, he was a good man and a pastor at that. Everyone loved him; he was always there to cheer up people and to give advice to them. I remember going to church veer Sunday, not only to hear about God and all of that, but because my grandpa and my grandma went. Grandma was always with him where ever he went; they were like one; they loved each other so dearly. I remember that my grandpa really wanted to be an evangelist, so that he could travel and preach the word (the Bible) to others, but he always seemed to get stuck to churches for long periods of time. All the churches loved to hear him preach because my grandpa was a whole hearted Christian and believed in what he was saying! I can also remember fun days with him and of course my grandma. One day we all went to Lake Tahoe to go fishing, I was a little girl and I sure wasn't the best fisher. I was such a clumsy fisher that I had accidentally caught my grandpa on his shirt twice; boy-o-boy was that a funny day. My grandpa was the light of my family, when he was around the mood of the house seemed to be more cheerful and more alive. To me my grandpa was invulnerable and nothing could ever happen to him, but I guess that I was wrong. I remember when the happiness of the house was starting to fade because my grandpa was sick. We all thought that he had an ordinary flu or something, but since my grandpa was a hard head and never wanted to go to the doctor we didn't know for sure. One day he just couldnt take it any more, so he went to the hospital. Me I didn't take it as a big deal until we all went up there to see him. I went into his room thinking that he just had some little sickness or something, but then I say him laying there motionless with...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Development Efforts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Development Efforts - Essay Example Not all firms can survive without emergency managers since all face diverse perils and hazards. However, in some businesses, emergency management departments have secluded themselves from strategizing with the rest of the response system in attaining the goals of the organization. This has raised so many concerns as to whether this act is right or wrong. This dilemma may be solved based on deduced lessons from several reviews of literature. Emergency management has different response departments referred to as agencies. The leaders of the agencies perform different functions. Because the leaders have some emergency solving related jobs, they are grouped under one department. This suggests that they have some related strategies aimed at achieving a common goal. More so, in time of need, emergency managers consult each other before coming up with some decisions and tactics of solving the problems caused by disasters. The strategies should not work against each other to bring about harmony at the scene of the disaster (Belasco & Ralph, 2008). From the research on ants by the US scholars, emergency leaders may learn the importance of collaboration of the departments. In this setting, ants are not as bright as such, but they are able to tackle any task. In addition, they are more organized than other insects. They embrace the art of teamwork. Any ant may handle any job at any given time since all have the skills to handle any job. This policy should work in any emergency system. Different departments should be able to perform the duties interchangeably. In case one response system misses, any one present should be able to make informed decisions in solving certain problems. Therefore, there should be collaborative strategies in order to attain the goals of the firm (Gerber & Sims, 2005). According to Waugh & Streib (2009), important duties prior to, during and post disaster requires coordination from multi-organizational, inter-organizational

Friday, November 1, 2019

Assignment2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment2 - Research Paper Example Most importantly, there are popular people in the world who get a lot of attention thus the whole society as a whole seeks to follow and fodder for their information. The term media in the simplest and most basic sense refers to the avenue where information is shared or passed from one source to the recipient. In the recent past, there have been changes, modifications, advancements and improvements in the fields and sectors of technology therefore the definition of media has changed. Accordingly, there has been the concept and notion of social media which encompasses avenues such as you tube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram where information is passed and shared uncensored and an unedited. This paper will thus look at the extent to which the media inclusive of the social media could influence the behavior of the teenage girls (Martin & Bush, 2000). In principle, this article and text will discuss and look into the exact ways in which the media affects behaviors of girls. In form of a hypothesis, this paper will explore how the media affects dress codes and fashion patterns or inclinations of teenage girls. Fashion also encompasses and covers the way in which a celebrity or a popular person poses to represent themselves and the background identity as a whole. A practical case and instance is the way Britney Spears did pose in magazines in 1999, the implication it had on the teen girls and what that instance or posing could influence and impact the behavior of girls. Tentatively, this research paper will be exploratory in nature, stemming from the fact that it does not have any static hypothesis which would be sought to be confirmed or disapproved. In principle, the research paper will be free-flowing and self-guiding, therefore the conclusion that would be made would be informed by facts and figures obtained in the course of the research paper. Given the nature of this research and study it would be proper to obtain first-hand information from the

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

BUSINESS MODELS AND PLANNING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

BUSINESS MODELS AND PLANNING - Essay Example Archetypally, a value chain viewpoint is embraced, and affiliations to dealers and clienteles and other peripheral forces are put into consideration. For instance, corporation ‘fundamentals’, put emphasis on the â€Å"information most pertinent to decision making in the contemporary economic setting concern the enterprise’s value chain (business model, in analysts’ parlance)†. In addition, this technique of theorizing the business model focuses on outlining the company’s manner of undertaking business. On the other hand, a narrow business model entails a business model that bases solitary on in-house aspects in the organization. A business model should not be a depiction of a multifarious social system with entirely its actors, dealings and practices. As a replacement for, they argue that, it ought to designate a company’s significance thus creating logic, the processes that enable this, i.e. the groundwork for generating worth and set up the foundation for hypothesizing the strategy of the business. Occasionally, it propagates in the form of an innovative idea. More often, it encompasses amalgamation of merchandise and service features that offers more quality value. For instance, a cheaper price for the equivalent advantage or supplementary benefit for the equal price. In due course, the aforementioned move achieves its key objective of safeguarding loyal customers along with anticipated sales. Business models incorporate strategies that identify and establishing a significant differentiator. For instance, it comes up with a strategic move to attract attention of the customer or superb performance and customer care. Rationally, these models figure out unique barriers to entry that protect their profit streams. In the long run, this strategy ensures that the business continues to control a desirable market share as well as enjoy healthy profits. The business

Monday, October 28, 2019

Mortgage Essay Example for Free

Mortgage Essay 1. In 1932, the federal government’s intervention in the market for home ownership was desirable. Not only was it desirable, but it was needed. It has been the federal government’s desire to have every American become a part of the American dream and be a homeowner. In 1932 President Hoover signed the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to establish a series of discount banks for home mortgages. This would assist in increasing the likelihood of Americans owning a home and not feeling that they were restricted because of financial pressures. Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae, Freddie Mac were created to help bail out banks that had a growing number of defaults in mortgages. These three enterprises made it possible for banks to offer mortgages to riskier clients who normally would not qualify. This greatly expanded homeownership. It also shaped lending practices at banks and other mortgage lending firms by creating new forms of financing and creating the market of secondary mortgages. 2. Why did the U.S. Congress enact:Â  * Community Reinvestment Act – passed in 1977 requiring banks to lend in the low income neighborhoods * Mortgage Disclosure Act – passed in 1975 to provide the public with loan data that can be used to determine whether or not financial institutions are serving the needs of their community, identify possible discriminatory lending patterns and make this data publicly available * Depository Institution Deregulation and Monetary Control Act – passed in 1980 to provide gradual elimination of limitations on the rates of interest payable on deposits and accounts; authorize interest bearing accounts * Housing and Community Development Act – amended to create section 8 housing These methods were effective in expanding homeownership by making it easier and providing greater methods to become a homeowner. The government’s promotion of subprime mortgages created more problems that assistance. It was the initial cause of the 2008 financial crisis due to the rise in delinquencies and foreclosures. Basically many people were approved for houses that were not financially stable or capable of the long term obligation of buying a home. As subprime lending expanded, so did the crisis due to the over-regulation, deregulation and failed regulation that the government brought on. 3. Subprime mortgages made a contribution to the housing bubble. Since there were several more individuals approved to purchase homes, the demand for houses increased. This demand created many financial institutions and creditors to attempt to make a profit by approving loans, selling or enforcing short term buying. Once people got caught up in homeownership, but were beyond what they could afford and interest rates as well as lending practices went bad, the demand decreased, which resulted in a surplus, reduction of prices, rise in interest rate and the bubble burst. Borrowers will struggle with financing the purchase of a house, loan originators suffer from debt , MBS will suffer since the cash flow is not know in advance, the MBS investors may not receive payment and CDO holders because of the use of reserve funds due to the lack of incoming cash flow.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Learning from the Homeless Essay -- Personal Narrative Essay Example

It began in the County Mall food court. Resting at one of the tables after my lunch, I casually glanced around the place. The food court wasn't crowded, and consequently I had no trouble spotting him: a tall, dark, gray-haired man. He caught my gaze, and started walking towards me. As I took in his gaunt frame, his tattered red t-shirt, and the holes in his great sweats, it dawned on me that before me stood a homeless man. Reaching my table, he asked if he could sit down with me but I declined. I wasn't in the mood to talk to him, and so mumbling a poor excuse and an apology that was probably a few octaves below any decipherable level, and not particularly caring whether the man heard me or not, I got up and walked away. The man called out after me, assuring me that he didn't want money, but rather only someone to talk to. I was rattled by his persistence, and pretending I didn't hear him I quickly walked away, my heart pounding in my chest.    Later that day the incident gnawed on my mind; that I coldly turned down a man who simply wanted someone to talk to was uncharacteristic and appalled me. As I lay awake that night, listening to the rain beat against my roof, my thoughts drifted back to the man at the mall. Was he outside in this rain right now? Was he cold, wet, and hungry? Was he lonely? The thought of him feeling abandoned because of me weighed even more heavily on my conscience. In my first year of high school I suffered through a terrible ordeal that distanced me from my friends for some time. I am familiar with the despair that arises from loneliness, and it made my guilt all the more acute. As I lay in bed, I felt frustrated and angry with myself for acting so callously.    I was eager to ... ...change from the torpid state I found him in and I was elated by the transformation.    Since the mall incident my time with the homeless have widened my eyes considerably. I learned about panhandling, canning routes, and day labors.   I learned about the depression and loneliness that plagues many of the homeless. When I glance upon the effusive joy they derive from STATH's help, I get an idea as to how scathing my rejection might have been to the homeless at the mall. If only I could live the day over -It's a thought I've entertained on many occasions. I fear that in my callousness I have driven the man into a deep despair at the thought that no one wants to spend their time with him. Every time I adopt another homeless on one of STATH's excursions, I relive the incident at the mall. Only now, I take solace in the fact that I make the right decision.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking Essay

Brief Summary and â€Å"Arrangement† of the Book: Malcom Gladwell published the most pleasant book, â€Å"Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking,† which he extended the landmark style of his number one international bestseller The Tipping Point. Gladwell transformed the ideas of how people understand the world within its rapid decisions. The Blink is about the power of thinking without thinking, which choices that seem to be made in instant decisions in the blink of an eye of a person that can’t be as simple as it may seem to be. Blinked discussed the many elements that affect the individuals judgments, culture, and even their experienced, in which told how they can be improved. Gladwell states various reasons and examples why the human brain is necessary to make a correct decision without thinking and examine information that is necessary to choose a course of action, which he termed this ability as â€Å"thin-slicing.† The â€Å"Blink† is structured starting with an advantageous introduction, fol lowed by several chapters, conclusion, and extra-textual elements such as the afterword, author’s notes, index, and ended with a special section of a reading group guide. Introduction. The Statue that Didn’t Look Right- The author begins by introducing the concept of immediate reactions to people whether it’s physical or emotional responses. Therefore, Gladwell’s story relates to a particular type of a statue by the J. Paul Getty Museum in California, which was known as a kouros. He proceeds to explain the questioning of the statue and to ascertain the truth of how owners maintain the museum to stay open in public. Although the museum faced several conflicts, it was proven that the ownership documents were forged, and yet the museum reopened. Chapter I. â€Å"The Theory of Thin Slices: How a little Bit of Knowledge Goes a Long Way†: The first chapter accounted how Gladwell introduces the main concept of the â€Å"thin-slice,† detailing the way people’s minds can make brisk decision and yet make judgments as well. He employs different concepts to illustrate the individuals within their power of thinking without thinking, in providing an example of married couples. By watching videotapes of married couples, the research team began to specify a system that reveals many deep-seated  problems in the marriage through their body language patterns and gestures. Chapter II. â€Å"The Locked Door: The Secret Life of Snap Decisions†: The context of this chapter discusses the story of how most of the time, we create snap judgments unconsciously and make quick decisions from it. The author explains the different experiment that was done to help prove his reasoning by the students who participated in small tests. This can encourage us to rethink of how certain we are with our thoughts. Gladwell also demonstrates how humans seem to be naturally ill at ease with ambiguity, so we unconsciously create stories that account for decisions we make or within our actions. Chapter III. â€Å"The Warren Harding Error: Why We Fall for Tall, Dark, Handsome Men†: This chapter consists of the impact of the Warren Harding error, which has the negative side to rapid thinking and it affects the accuracy of the way we make fast decisions. Due to this error, people can cause others to create false conclusions without any thinking further. In other words, we can have a better control with our thoughts and even form a more accurate judgment for ourselves. Chapter IV. â€Å"Paul Van Riper’s Big Victory: Creating Structure for Spontaneity†: In this chapter, the a uthor discusses the case of Paul Van Riper, a commander in the Marine Corps within military philosophy. He explains how snap decisions wasn’t the best choice because its outcome is never certain. Often, Gladwell contends, the best decisions are made by relying on only a few pieces of information which could just prolong the process and not become useful. Chapter V. â€Å"Kenna’s Dilemma: The Right-and Wrong-Way to Ask People What They Want†: The author focuses on a different concept in this chapter describing about Kenna, a rock musicians who would receive a different reactions from an audience. Gladwell demonstrates that removing a problem from its normal context makes it very difficult for us to actually make accurate decisions. Eventually it is realized that most people would continuously make incorrect judgment when it is not based on their range in knowledge and how it will appeals to others. Chapter VI. â€Å"Seven Seconds In the Bronx: The Delicate Art of Mind Reading†: The author specifies the negative outcomes that can occur when a series of judgments are made in rapid decisions. Gladwell uses an expert studies, like a man named Amadou Diallo, wh o was shot and killed by police officers after the misjudgments that happened and became a huge mistakes. This shows that the kind of adrenaline rush can cause the brain in  creating an inappropriate actions and could hurt the others around us. Conclusion. â€Å"Listening with Your Eyes: The Lessons of Blink†: To conclude this novel, the author recounts that the power of decisions made in the blink of an eye lies in the absence of other factors and its actions. The book ends with Glawell encouraging readers to take this lesson and learn from it in order to make positive outcomes and change the habit of making rapid decisions. Rhetorical Analysis: Exigence- Malcolm Glawell was motivated by his desire to show people that making quick decisions have more value than what we actually think. He says, â€Å"I believe that the task of making sense of ourselves and our behavior requires that we acknowledge there can be as much value in the blink of an eye as in months of rational analysis.† (17), suggesting that we should focused on what we actually know, and examined the processes of how we think in making decisions in order for it to create a positive outcome and deliver a better world. Audience- The audience would presumably be for those who believe that the best decisions are made after a certain amount of time in collecting and analyzing of high-quality information. The fact of how â€Å"decisions made very quickly can be very bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately.† (14). His writing is directed to people who often make snap judgments and first impressions for better means of making sense of the world and by not believing in the validity of blink decisions. Purpose- Gladwell’s purpose is to teach ourselves to think logically and deliberately in controlling our rapid cognition within it consistent set of reasons. The author’s purpose was, â€Å"to shape and manage and educate the unconscious reactions.† (16). His purpose enlightens and educates the readers for them to take action and use their ability in cultivating ourselves. The task of â€Å"Blink† is to convince people of a convincing his readers that snap judgments and first impressions can be educated and controlled. The author’s purpose enlightens and educates the readers for them to make more positive outcome when it comes to making decisions. Logos- The author provided an insight of using logical appeal such as  statistics due to how this book is based upon a true story. Gladwell refers to the laboratory work of a psychologist named John Gottman at the University of Washington. Gottman has created a coding system that can be used to analyze a videotape in every conceivable emotion that a married couple might express during a conversation. This coding system focuses of every emotional nuance, bits of dialogue, and movement detected by the sensors that is factored in which can be used to predict, with 95% accuracy whether that couple will still be married fifteen years later (21). Another example was how the author included the observers’ ratings which predicted with better than 80% accuracy of marriages around this time (47). From the statistics that he provided, the readers would be aware of making decisions with only little information given in a short amount of time. Pathos- Gladwell may have not use a strong emotion but instead he was able to use his technique in addressing the reader directly which increases the amount of communication between himself and the reader. On â€Å"The Warren Harding Error,† the reader is asked to take a test on unconscious connections. However, in order for him to gain this connection within his reader, at times, he asks questions such as, â€Å"That was easy, right?† and more phrases like â€Å"Now try this†¦ did you notice the difference?† (78-80). It is called the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which was a devised in making connections. Therefore, Gladwell’s technique gives the reader a sense of being familiar to this test and leads to more understanding with those circumstances when rapid cognition leads us astray. Ethos- â€Å"Bink,† by Malcolm Gladwell refers to the incredible works of educated and experienced individuals like John Gottman a psychologist at the University of Washington (18.) Another reference was Paul Ekman and Silvan Tomkins, which they developed the Facial Action Coding System, or FACS (204). This system assembled the rules for reading and interprets thousands of combinations of movements or its actions that make up facial expressions. Malcolm Gladwell is also the author of the number 1 international bestseller The Tipping Point. Gladwell is a staff writer for The New Yorker and was formerly a business and science reporter at the Washington Post (back cover). The author establishes his credibility to get the reader to  acknowledge his talent as a writer. Style/tone- The author’s overall tone was very serious due to the amount of information that he provided in his book. â€Å"We’re a bit too quick to come up with explanations for things that we don’t really have an explanation for.† (69). Gladwell’s tone in this novel was very informative stating that we, as humans would have to gather a lot of information and in as many different contexts as possible. He reveals his position in his conclusion, â€Å"It is not enough simply to explore the hidden recesses of our unconscious†¦ once we know how the mind works about the strengths and weaknesses of human judgments, it is our responsibility to act.† (276). The author ensure the book is less boring which he added questions that needed to be answer in order for the reader to take notice and understand his position. Delivery- The book was very plain and was kept simple. The front cover is plain white with the font title made to be in blue and bold print to capture the reader’s attention. The publishers included under the title that â€Å"Blink† is written by the author of The Tipping Point. The inside of the book was organized by the introduction, 6 chapters, conclusion, and several extra-textual elements which it provides more information for the readers. Within the organization of Gladwell’s book in his acknowledgements, he gave thanks to the people who helped him finished this book such as, Michael Pietsch, Geoff Shandler, Heather Fain, and most of all, Bill Philips, who deftly and thoughtfully and cheerfully guided this manuscript from nonsense to sense. Also, there are several people who deserve special thanks like Terry Martin and Henry Finder, as they did with The Tipping Point – wrote long and extraordinary critiques of the early drafts. Suzy Hansen and the in comparable Pamela Marshall brought focus and clarity to the text and rescued Gladwell from embarrassment and error (285-286). The author trusted these amazing people to make revision throughout the book to make it more presentable and effective to the eyes of the readers. Above all, the back cover of the book provided a short summary of the book, the special critiques with a name given below, that will capture the reader’s attention. The genre was given on the left corner at very top of the book with the font color of white. It also provided Malcolm Gladwell’s recognition from his  accomplishments to establish his credibility. Use of Outside Sources: Malcolm Gladwell’s â€Å"Blink† uses multiple outside sources throughout his book. The author provided quotes taken from interviews, psychological research, and even some historical references such as the Civil War and the use of Morse code in the Second World War. Gladwell’s uses of outside sources were very effective due to enlarging his ideas and helped me understand his position within the new concepts throughout the whole book. He also includes additional notes and fascinating examples to increase the effectiveness of the book and support his ideas which added credibility to his book. Overall, the amount of sources that he provided helped him established his authority and credibility as it become effective to the idea that he was trying to get across. Personal Response: In my opinion, â€Å"Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking† was very interesting and very informative. It made me realized how there are times that we, as humans, love to think and make quick decisions with only few information given to us. From this book, I learned more about my unconscious and its ability in making decisions without me knowing the real situation or having enough information. The book was very well written by discussing the general meaning of making decisions with the blink of an eye. I enjoyed every chapter of this book because I was able to learn something new and understand these unfamiliar concepts. My mainly concern about this book is the multiple examples that he provided each chapter which was a bit confusing. However, his concepts are still clearly stated and understandable due to the explanations that relates to his idea. I highly recommend that this book should be keep in the book list because I believe everyone would find this interesting as well. The â€Å"Blink† made me rethink of the quick decisions I made in the past, which now, I know better and quit the habit of making snap decisions that may form a negative action. This book gives knowledge about our world and ourselves, which tells us how the majority of people are used to not analyzing information and just make the best of it from what we think is right.