Saturday, August 31, 2019

Growing up: A Journey of One’s Identity

It is inevitable that people age. Every human being, and every being for that matter, grows old. Age is a natural phenomenon that cannot be avoided. Part of growing up is discovering one’s identity. As people age, they constantly undergo a process where they mold themselves into unique individuals. Every experience that a person goes through influences his personality, his character, and his identity. It is through such experiences that people get to see who they really are. Triumphs and failures in life are vital for they help strengthen the character of the person. In a way, when an individual goes through an experience, he is shaping his character regardless of the outcome of his endeavor. From childhood to adulthood, every experience brings forth a certain lesson that is inculcated in the individual’s being. These lessons are what define the individual for they directly affect the person that they are. The development of the person and the journey of self-discovery as a person grows up are discussed not merely in the various fields of science. Literature too has its share of works of art that provide an input of how growing up involves the molding and shaping of the person’s identity. Although not directly discussed, literature highlights how the journey of aging is in parallel with an individual’s journey towards defining an identity of his own. In Mary E. Wilkins’ short story, â€Å"Mistaken Charity,† the journey of two women through age and time is told. Moreover, it shows how their aging coincides with their realization of who they really are. Harriet and Charlotte are two sisters who never marry. Their life is built on their work and on their struggle to survive. However, as age catches up with them, and their aged bodies can no longer stand their own lines of work, they begin to realize that they are not all about their work. When given a chance to move out of their tattered house and into a better life, they discover that it is their experiences living in that house that defines who they are. They are not used to the life in the â€Å"Home† for it does not feel like home to them. This is what drove Charlotte to say, â€Å"O Lord, Harrià ©t†¦ let us go home. I can't stay here no ways in this world. I don't like their vittles, an' I don't like to wear a cap; I want to go home and do different. The currants will be ripe, Harrià ©t. O Lord, thar was almost a chink, thinking about 'em. I want some of 'em; an' the Porter apples will be gittin' ripe, an' we could have some apple-pie. This here ain't good.† (Wilkins, 148) This shows how no matter how much better another life seems to be, people will always go back to their old way of life for the life they have gotten used to defines who they really are. Another story that show how growing up means defining who you really are is told in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† The story tells of how one experiences that Goodman Brown went through in his young days completely changed his outlook on life. His journey through the forest wherein he met the mysterious figure which many associate with the devil may indeed be a dream. However, that experience opened his eyes to the reality that people may not be what they perceive him to be. The good Christians that he thought they were may actually simply be a cover-up of their real selves. Although it could be a dream, the experience was enlightening for Goodman Brown. More importantly, it was very influential in molding the personality of Brown and his outlook on life. After the experience, Goodman Brown ended up becoming a cynic. He was always wondering whether the people around him were who they really were. In fact, Goodman Brown even began to doubt the sincerity of his wife, whom he used to love and trust dearly. After the said event,   Ã‚  he turned into a cynic, wary and pessimistic of his wife and his faithfulness and fidelity. The last paragraph of the story explains the effect that the experience in the forest had on him. In the said paragraph it was stated: â€Å"A stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man did he become from the night of that fearful dream. On the Sabbath day, when the congregation were singing a holy psalm, he could not listen because an anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear and drowned all the blessed strain. When the minister spoke from the pulpit with power and fervid eloquence, and, with his hand on the open Bible, of the sacred truths of our religion, and of saint-like lives and triumphant deaths, and of future bliss or misery unutterable, then did Goodman Brown turn pale, dreading lest the roof should thunder down upon the gray blasphemer and his hearers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hawthorne, 127) The stories provide evidence of how experiences mold and shape the identity and personality of the individual. Both Goodman Brown and the sisters demonstrated how they are made by their experiences. Thus, it can be said that growing up and aging is a process of defining one’s self. It is a process of discovery brought about by life experiences where lessons are learned and imbedded in one’s way of life. Works Cited: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† Literature and society: An introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction. 4th ed. Eds. Pamela Annas, Robert Rossen. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2007, pp 117-127. Wilkins, Mary. â€Å"Mistaken Charity.† Literature and society: An introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction. 4th ed.   Eds. Pamela Annas, Robert Rossen. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2007, pp 140-150.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Psychology of Social Influence

Don't Throw in the Towel: Use Social Influence Research This article is detailing how psychology can be used in a variety of ways in society other than counseling or the cliche of psychology. It looked at a simple problem to find the best solution. The problem in this article was looking at ways to inform guest from various hotels to reuse their towels. Reusing towels would, â€Å"increase the environmental protection and environmental cooperation. † It would also help conserve environmental resources.Many of the hotels tried various ways to increase their guest’s awareness and responsibility in this process by placing different key phrases on a card placed around the room. The hotels started by trying different things that would try to influence their guest, instead of looking at it from a psychological point of view. This study examined the persuasive appeals and its focus on descriptive social norms. It looked at what people were doing and willing to do. There were m any example phrases they tested. These included the following: HELP SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT.You can show your respect for nature and help save the environment by reusing your towels during your stay. A second type of card focused guests on environmental cooperation. It stated: PARTNER WITH US TO HELP SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT In exchange for your participation in this program, we at the hotel will donate a percentage of the energy savings to a nonprofit environmental protection organization. The environment deserves our combined efforts. You can join us by reusing your towels during your stay. A third type of card focused guests on the descriptive norms of the situation.It stated: JOIN YOUR FELLOW GUESTS IN HELPING TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT Almost 75% of guests who are asked to participate in our new resource savings program do help by using their towels more than once. You can join your fellow guests to help save the environment by reusing your towels during your stay. The cards that display ed the fact that the guest was improving the environment had little increase in the reuse of towels. Other towels however did have a response but examined the data and found many interesting findings.According to psychological influences on people, the article stated that, â€Å"There is no sense of social obligation to cooperate with someone who offers you something, provided that you perform a favor first. † So to say that you are more likely to do something in return for someone then initiate the action in a promised return i. e. the donation. According to society norms, a person is considered â€Å"moochers†, or â€Å"takers† if they do not return the favor after something has been done for them. With this in mind they added a four card statement that returned a 47 percent success rate, one that was greater than the corporation conditions.It was as followed: WE'RE DOING OUR PART FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. CAN WE COUNT ON YOU? Because we are committed to preserving the environment, we have made a financial contribution to a nonprofit environmental protection organization on behalf of the hotel and its guests. If you would like to help us in recovering the expense, while conserving natural resources, please reuse your towels during your stay. This card explained that the hotel had already done their part in making a financial contribution to a nonprofit organization, and we might feel socially obligated to do our part in reusing the towels.Even though the cards above stated similar wording, having the hotel make a contribution first initiates us as humans to want to return the favor. Social psychology can be used in many different ways outside the classroom and have real applications to everyday life and everyday problems. We can use the research data found by these psychologists to make significant improvements in something as simple as towel reuse with a little bit of knowledge of social psychological theory.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Critically assess the contention that temperate forests are in Essay

Critically assess the contention that temperate forests are in equilibrium with climate - Essay Example librium with its climate by considering paleocological studies concerned with the effects of climate change to ancient forests as well as more recent studies of the ;problem of global warming and its effects on temperate forests. Do temperate forests exhibit stability in terms of cover, biodiversity and function in the carbon cycle? What is causing temperate forests to decline if it is indeed in equilibrium with climate? The article â€Å"Forests and climate change† (FAO Corporate Document Repository) states that forests serve an important function in the environmental balance as a carbon pool. A carbon pool is the storage area where carbon dioxide is released or stored. The rate of exchange normally depends on the life cycle of the forest elements. Ideally, the forests are in a state of a perpetual carbon sink, which is defined as a system in which there is more carbon going in than out. Equally admirable is when the amount of carbon absorbed from the atmosphere is equal to the amount of carbon released back into the environment. Unfortunately, especially since the Industrial revolution, this balance has been upset to an increasing degree until the effects of the climate system imbalance has become too severe to be ignored. There have been several efforts in limiting, and hopefully eventually eradicating, this imbalance, with minimal success. One of the more seemingly ecologically correct notions is to implement forest management policies to preserve existing forests and to extend its area through afforestation. Dudley states the preservation of the old temperate forests would be of benefit to the ecology. However, he further implies that the establishment of newer, faster-growing but ecologically unfit forests would be detrimental to the cause of ecological salvaging. Temperate forests are found mainly in western and central Europe, the eastern side of North America and northeastern Asia. These are scattered all over the middle and high latitudes although

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Ami-Quebec and Forward House Community Service Essay

Ami-Quebec and Forward House Community Service - Essay Example The researcher visited Ami- Quebec community center and Forward House community center. Ami-Quebec community center is located in Boulevard Decarie, Montreal in Canada. Its contact numbers are (514-486-1448) for those within Montreal and (1-877-303-0264) for those outside Montreal. Ami-Quebec is a mental facility that aims at helping families cope with the effects of mental illness through education, information, support, and advocacy. The center also aims at raising public awareness of mental illnesses and dispelling the shame and stigma surrounding mental illness. Ami-Quebec center adopts various programs to support the community. One of the programs adopted is the education programs. This program aims at educating families living with Borderline Personality Disorder. The other program is through the use of support groups. These groups allow the interaction of peers through weekly private sessions whereby members are encouraged to share in a small group setting. Similarly, the faci lity makes use of counseling as a one-on-one service program that addresses the challenges encountered by caregivers when providing care to someone with a mental illness. Forward House community is located in Parksville, Canada. The facility provides care to patients with persistent mental health and addiction recovery. The facility aims at meeting the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of the clients, both the patients and their families and friends. This facility has several partners.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Haier Strategy Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Haier Strategy Analysis - Research Paper Example The company approaches the corporate-level strategy by establishing subsidiaries in different locations. Presently, the company has subsidiaries in 13 countries with eight being design centers and ten information centers. Analysis of Haier’s strategies using the BCG matrix indicates that, the developed regions falls under â€Å"stars† as seen in their high proceeds and market share. An example of a developed country that fits such a description is the US whose rewards would be a â€Å"cash cow† if the market share were kept. Cows are the developing countries, for example, Kenya that has a high market share based on the technologically perceptive persons; however, the income is low meaning that Haier has to reduce investments. Dogs are the emerging economies where the need for electrical items is still low especially in regions where distribution is hindered by distance and distribution costs. Haier is yet to access such markets as seen in war torn regions such as Sudan and Afghanistan. Question marks in the strategy are regions with high growth and reduced market share. Indeed, Haier accesses such markets through its extended subsidiaries as evident in Philippines; however, such markets are unviable meaning that it would be appropriate to sell the commodities and close shop. Based on Porter’s analysis, Haier’s strength include a huge market, reputation of the brand and innovation. Internal weaknesses are notable in ineffective marketing and advertising, the human management ineffectiveness, lack of core technology and inadequate competition in the high-end market. External threats include economic downturn, growing competition and strong rivals, increasing prices and the constantly changing customer needs. External opportunities for the company include a global economic integration, potential for increased domestic sales and the development of green products. Analysis of Key success factor for Haier (what is essential for Haie r in order to be successful) There are different factors that Haier should consider in ensuring success as a major firm in the market (Kynge, 1999). Some of the customer concerns regarding electronics are some of the success factors necessary to Haier. Quality should be one of the considerations for Haier as it designs its products. An electronics customer needs their acquired items to be long lasting, serve the purpose successfully and efficiently. Haier in the local content has been known for having quality products, but in the global concept, it faces well-established companies associated with a certain standard of quality. The first step necessary for Haier is promoting a standard, which the market expects from it. Issuing guarantees and service clinics could be one of the methods of setting up the platform for enhancing consumer quality. Budget is another concern for customers on a global scale. Most shoppers of electronics consider products within a given price range (Darwar & Frost, 1999). Some of the companies in the sector have succeeded due to the implementation of low and competitive prices based on the market. Functionality is a huge factor to consider in a competitive market. Today’s customer usually shops while considering the benefits. By meeting the preliminary function and introducing several other functions at a price that is lesser than the fee of a device, the organization can capture the market (Gupta &

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Pinochet Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 12500 words

The Pinochet Case - Essay Example In the first three parts, a comprehensive chronology will be followed based on four different timelines (BBC News, 2005; CBC News Online, 2004; Amnesty International, 2004; FLACSO, 2002). These timelines have conflicting dates sometimes, but the differences are minor ones. In general, most of the data is completely accurate and reliable when a cross-checking of them is undergone. In the fourth part, a critical analysis will deal with the lessons, parallels, and implications of the Pinochet case while the fifth part will take into consideration the future of Chile under the present state of democracy since Pinochet stepped out of the government. The main focus will be legal, but a historical point of view is really necessary in order to understand the legal issues. Politics is also relevant in this case as well as sociology. On August 23, 1973, in a very difficult situation due to the domestic strife that arouses across the country, President Allende appointed Augusto Pinochet Ugarte as commander-in-chief of the army. This is a clear sign that Allende trusted Pinochet, but he was completely wrong as on September 11, 1973, the armed forces, led by Pinochet, overthrew Allende in a coup. Allende killed himself in â€Å"El Palacio de la Moneda† instead of surrendering. Pinochet was named head of the governing council called â€Å"La Junta†. This was the beginning of a bloody dictatorship with Pinochet as the most prominent leader. Some weeks after the coup, the infamous Caravan of Death took place. It was a death convoy that traveled in October, 1973, to the north and south of Chile in order to kill some dissidents who were imprisoned in those places, especially the members of Chile’s Socialist Party. In 1974 Pinochet also formed the secret police called the DINA (Direccià ³n de Inteligencia Nacional – National Intelligence Directionate). It was headed by Manuel Contreras.   The DINA was replaced in 1977 by the CNI (Centro Nacional de Informacià ³n – National Information Center).

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Research proposal Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proposal - Research Paper Example Results obtained from this research will help in informing parents of the safety measure they should use to avoid accidents in their homes. This is because some parents overlook the small things around the house, that end up causing accidents with toddlers (Nationwide Children’s Hospital). Happy and healthy children are the joy of every parent. The presence of a newborn baby in a home gives all the adults the responsibility of ensuring the home is safe for the child. All parts of the house that the baby can access need to be child proofed to ensure the safety of the child. In any typical home, there are various hidden and obvious child safety hazards. Parents must take the necessary steps to ensure that toddlers in the house are safe (Douglas, 2003). During the early stages of development, infants and toddlers are usually very curious and tend to touch, pull, push, and eat everything they come in contact with. Every household is bound to have an encounter with an infant and therefore, childproofing is a common experience. Nevertheless, accidents still occur because of the small things that we ignore because they do not seem to be dangerous. According to Wallin (45), identifying these small things will help in preventing future accidents from occurring thus ensuring a safe and healthy baby. There has been a lot of research done regarding the issue of Infant and Toddler safety at home. Most of the injuries that happen to children under the ages of five years occur in the home environment. Infants and toddlers spend most of their time in the house and their curious nature and lack of fear exposes them to dangerous situation (Ahmann, 105). As a result toddlers are the ones who suffer the most in cases of home related injuries. This calls for action that involves establishing preventive measures and keeping an eye on toddlers as they play to prevent the occurrence

Saturday, August 24, 2019

M2A1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

M2A1 - Essay Example Case study one: interpersonal conflict This interpersonal conflict scenario entails two employees of the same organization. The conflict arises from the struggle of promotion and power between the two employees. The cause of the conflict can be attributed to differences in goals, attitudes and values between the two employees. Rick has the informational power to influence the work of John. John relies on interim production reports from Rick in order to accurately prepare summary reports for the entire week. From their working relationship, the accuracy of Rick’s interim reports will influence the quality of output delivered by John to the inventory and marketing departments. The conflict is harmful to the organization since it has led to errors in the summary reports and may also lead to inefficiency of work since John will be forced to retrieve the interim production reports from the main frame computer that has a two day backlog of retrieval requests. The conflict will lead to poor working relationship and hinder teamwork in the organization. Eventually, the conflict will hinder the attainment of the organizational objectives. The conflict is shallow since it entails only two employees and no excessive harm has occurred to their overall jobs (Donohue & Kolt, 1994). ... pective position, but their individual differences such as need for power and status, and personality clashes have led to a conflict in their working relationship (Deutsch, Coleman & Marcus, 2006). The second step will entail creating urgency for the need to resolve the conflict through identifying the negative impacts of the conflict towards the attainment of organizational objectives (Donohue & Kolt, 1994). In this regard, the management will identify the errors in the interim production reports, the inaccuracies of the summary reports delivered to the inventory and marketing departments and associated delays in preparation of the summary reports. The third step is creating a favorable conflict resolution environment through enabling John and Rick to cooperate in their working relationship. In this case, Rick must accept blame for the errors in the interim production report and the rude communication to John. Accordingly, John and Rick must openly express their interests on the pro spective position and any negative emotions towards each other. The two employees must be prepared to engage in positive dialogue and offer feedback regards the conflict resolution process (Deutsch, Coleman & Marcus, 2006). The fourth step will entail will entail brainstorming for possible conflict resolution alternatives. In this case, the parties will highlight all possible solutions to the conflict. The parties must not avoid the conflict or engage in competition tactics since this will hinder interpersonal relationships and affect the working relationships (Deutsch, Coleman & Marcus, 2006). The brainstorming checklist must aim at enhancing cooperation, aligning the individual values and interests and minimizing struggles power and status between John and Rick. Possible solutions include

Friday, August 23, 2019

The ethics of the earlier thinkers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The ethics of the earlier thinkers - Essay Example Still others have no real faith and try to build a moral foundation out of their personal experience adding rules and content to it as the years go by. Some philosophers have talked of two worlds existing. One the world we live in and another better, more perfect world that exists somewhere else. This way of thinking is also the foundation of much theological thought too. Plato, like Descartes, believed that the mind and the soul were basically the same thing. However, unlike Descartes, Plato thought that the soul was eternal and didn’t with the body but changed its form and shape, as it was a kind of opposite. One of Plato’s most important concepts was his belief in the existence of two worlds: one a world of real things that we can see and one a world of forms, or perfect representations of these things. Plato was always about duality, both in objects and forms, but also in body and soul. For example, a spoon would exist on your table, but also somewhere else as a kind of perfect spoon. The same idea would apply to things like colours or animals. Homer, too, shared this idea. He saw the world as divided between mortals and gods. But for him it was possible to cross over between the worlds. Odysseus, for example, was able to visit the Underworld; Achilles was half-god and half-man. This concept was also shared by Aquinas, but somewhat less imaginatively. He believed that God was perfect and that we are but a shadow cast by this perfection. There is so much to write about when it comes to this subject. Morality is all around us and affects everything we do, all of our actions and all of our interpersonal relationships. Our lives are also determined by our view of the division of the world and the possible existence of God. This has been a popular concept throughout history, even if it has been overcome by ideas such as moral relativism in today’s world. For those reasons, it is very important to study and think about. I personally do not

Answer the following questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Answer the following questions - Assignment Example According to the expert, language and society are closely connected as it is society that creates the language. Each baby growing up learns some quantity of words in his native language. However, the language gives more than just a speaking skill. The first language helps learn a lot of functions, not only speaking. This refers to much more important thing – social life. Through the language young children learn how to play, to respond to different events, to co-operate. Language is a tool that, if applied properly, can open many doors. At the beginning a child cannot perform all kinds of language operations as grown ups do. Intonation helps young children to put together the available vocabulary and to express their intentions. In similar expressions they just replace the words and come up with new formulation. According to Halliday, children invent the protolanguage themselves: â€Å"there is no obvious source for the great majority of the child’s [vocal] expressions , which appear simply as spontaneous creations of the glossogenic process† (1975, p. 24). ... etation that the child’s linguistic efforts are reinforced, and in this way the meanings that the child starts out with gradually come to be adapted to the meanings of the adult language† (Halliday 1975, p. 24). This proves that language means for children not only their speaking skills but also their competence to interact in a society. In the works of 1974 by Keenan it can be seen that even young children turn language to their account. Playing together means co-operating which is impossible without conversational competence. Thus, language is a very important skill from the early childhood. 2. According to Vygotsky, people could be personalities only in the society, with the help of other people: â€Å"we become ourselves through others† (Vygotsky 1989, p. 56). His theory was about social interaction. As he confirmed, the second language was tightly connected to psychological operations and these operations derived from social co-operation. Vygotsky made this c onclusion, because a person could act on the people in the society and then on himself: â€Å"the law of sociogenesis of higher forms of behavior: speech, being initially the means of communication, the means of association, the means of organization of group behavior, later becomes the basic means of thinking and of all higher mental functions, the basic means of personality formation† (Vygotsky 1998, p. 169). Our interaction with people forms us as personalities and makes us express the features of our character. The process of second language learning is closely connected to the psychological state of learners. Active communication facilitates the process of second language acquisition. Thus, those learners who are active communicators in everyday life usually acquire the second language easily and start

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The Art of Procrastination Essay Example for Free

The Art of Procrastination Essay Have ever experienced that moment when you should do something, whether it is e-mailing back your great grand aunt from some lost country, cleaning up your room because you can’t even find your bed in that unbelievable mess, taking your obnoxious dog on a walk in the freezing cold weather, or just simply finishing your more than annoying homework in a class you can’t even stand, but instead you’re totally doing something else to hold up the fatal deadline? Don’t lie to me, I know you have. Our generation is victim of a particular disease that slows millions of people down against their weak wills : procrastination. Procrastination is the art of putting things off until tomorrow, and there is no need to tell you how good I am at that. Even the idea of this topic came up after long hours spending doing nothing.  «Nothing  » isn’t really the exact word, because the procrastinator always find something more appealing and stupid in most cases than what he or she should actually do. Access to entertainment has became amazingly easy in the last few decades and there are now thousands of ways to have fun exist nowadays. What normal person would honestly like better calculating the derivation of Pi instead of watching a funny movie under her or his warm blanket while eating rich, unhealthy and incredibly good food ? Every human behavior occurs for a reason, and procrastination is the witness of a society ruled by irksome people ignoring the pleasures of life. Facebook is another example of a procrastinator’s occupation. This website is the devil and poses as a huge ocean where Net surfers get lost needlessly. Nothing exceptional ever happens but people are ready to stay on it, stalking random strangers they will never meet for hours instead of undertaking something smart. Mark Zuckerberg succeeded in diverting millions of good people from the right path by putting his finger on a universel human trait : our weakness. Replacing high-priority actions with tasks of lower priority doesn’t always mean that those lower priorities activities are pointless. While thinking about a topic for this column, I felt the sudden need to clean up my room. Let me tell you that I don’t often enjoy doing it, but in this case it seemed more distracting than scratching my head looking for something you might like to read. I also took the opportunity to paint my nails, to e-mail back some members of my family worried about my survival in Fat-Land a.k.a America, to count my pairs of shoes, to look everywhere for the forever missing sock undeniably eaten by the washing machine, and to prepare my upcoming trip to Barcelona by learning some dirty words in Spanish. You know you procrastinate when you discover the enormous entertainment potential of a paperclip, when you spend more time calculating the time you would have left if you start working right now than actually working and when you are reading this column instead of doing what you’re supposed to do.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Spider Silk: Structure, Function and Uses

Spider Silk: Structure, Function and Uses Spider silk, also known as gossamer, is a fiber spun by spiders. Spider silk is a remarkably strong. Its tensile strength is comparable to that of high-grade steel. The term silk normally refers to a wide range of continuous filaments spun by the several species of Lepidoptera and Arthropoda, used for building structures for various purposes including prey capture. Silk filaments spun by spiders and silkworms possess superior properties than other silk producing insects and more than 2500 orb weaving species existing worldwide [1 4]. Spiders have six or seven sets of glands, each producing a different fiber. These glands remained undifferentiated, early in the evolution [4 7]. The spinnerets, microscopic tubes originating from glands, are classified into major and minor ampullate. The term ampulla is used to describe the distal part of the secretary zone [8]. Unlike synthetic polymers, the biopolymers are composed of numerous monomers arranged in a strictly controlled manner [9]. M any attempts have been made in the past to harvest and convert spider silk filaments into fabric form [4, 10, 11]. Scientists have been hard at work attempting to marshal the power of spider silk for a range of medical applications-including wound-care applications; suture materials; muscle, bone, cartilage, tendon, and ligament repair scaffolds. Spider silk possesses mechanical attributes such as very high tensile strength and elasticity, making it one of the toughest fibers known to man. The problem is that spiders dont produce enough silk to render it marketable for mass human use. SPIDER WEB AND TYPES OF SPIDER SILK: Prior to the exploration of the structure and properties of spider silks, construction and design of webs have been the major area of focus. The spider webs can take a variety of forms but the most common type is the orb web. Different families of spiders like Araneus, Nephila builds orb web and other families of spiders construct tangle and sheet webs [33, 35]. Orb-web spiders invest little energy in searching for prey. It spends most of its time synthesising silk and constructing webs. An orb web has several spokes laid outward from a common origin. However, this varies amongst the various species of spiders [31]. The orb webs are often constructed with an orientation to avoid being damaged due to the air drag caused by prey capture [24]. In a three dimensional web, the energy required to stop a moving insect is dissipated mainly by breaking some of the strands. In a two dimensional orb web, it is achieved through stretching the spiral threads [29]. Due to high-energy requirement in protein synthesis, only the damaged parts of the web are reconstructed instead of the whole web. Large portions of the web are repaired through the enzyme digestion and recycling. Based on the vibrations of the strands, the spider locates the prey accurately. The orb-weaving spiders are able to synthesize as many as seven different types of silk [13-15] including dragline by drawing liquid crystalline proteins from separate gland-spinneret complex. The perfume-coated dragline helps to find their mates, swing from place to place, store food, eggs and for reproduction. Capture threads produced by the flagella form glands of Nephila Clavipes is highly compliant. Both Araneus and Nephila coat their capture threads with an aqueous solution that forms sticky droplets which enhances damping and harvests water from air [25]. Its principal function is to absorb and dissipate the kinetic energy of captured flying insects. [3]. The chemical composition of the aqueous solution of the adhesive spiral varies among the species qualitatively and quantitatively. The variation is mainly due to physical environment, diet, web recycling, and onto genetic changes in the web chemistry. SPINNING OF SPIDER SILK: Many spiders are active at night and their colorations are usually orange, brown, grey and black, to reduce the spiders visibility during day time. Silk secreting systems of spiders and insects are homologous and linked to the crural gland and cuticular secretions [6]. Cephalothorax of the spider attached to an unsegmented abdomen, which has spinnerets at the posterior end [33]. N.clavipes spider has three pairs of spinnerets namely, anterior lateral, posterior lateral and posterior median. The largest major ampullate gland secretes dragline silk protein, exits from the anterior lateral spinneret. Secretions of proximal region and the distal region together form spider silk. Proximal region secretions are rich in tyrosine residues, sulfhydryl linkages and acidophilic nature. They form core of the silk while secretions of distal zone form coating of the fiber, which lacks tyrosine and sulfur contents. A mature Nephila produces dragline silk fiber at approximately 1 cm/sec during web construction and can increase up to 10 times faster during a rapid descent [52]. Spider silk spun under water displays greater stiffness and resilience compared to silk spun naturally in air [53]. The diameter of the silk can be controlled by the valve located at the end of the duct [47]. The spiders have the ability to withstand temperature variation of up to 30oC and humidity variation of up to 70% [20]. Spiders can easily modify the spinning conditions by their moving speed, building the webs in different times in a day. Spinning speed has less influence on the diameter of the filament when compared to the temperature even though its influence on toughness. COMPOSITION OF SILK: Variability in silk spun by the spiders exists at different levels such as in inter-specific (between species), intra-specific (within same species) and intra individual levels [54]. The factors that affect variations in silk structure and properties include body dimensions, body weight, rate and temperature of reeling and spinning direction [17, 25]. Composition of silks produced by herbivorous spiders is rich in Glycine, Alanine and Serine. This type of silk can be predicted to some extent. However, the silk produced by predatory spider, cannot be predicted due to the different types of prey [40, 55]. Dietary compositions of herbivorous spiders are energy rich and poor in protein content whereas the diet of predatory spiders is more diverse and rich in protein. Competition for limited or fluctuating supplies of amino acid perhaps has resulted in the evolution of two different kinds of glands to secrete protein glues and silk fibroin. The spider produces the thr ead on a very strict energy budget using liquid crystalline polymer. STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES: Spider silk has drawn attention from all the sections of engineering due to its superior properties when compared to existing fibrous materials such as the silkworm silk. Spider silk cannot be compared with silkworm silk. This is because spiders are difficult to raise in large numbers and their silk lacks the lustre of silkworm silk. The chemical compositions of various silks vary with the type of function they are intended to perform. In addition to the fibroin, other classes like glycoprotein , inorganic salts, sulphur containing compounds, amino acids, and ionic forms of amines are also present in the spider silk [69, 70]. Presences of these chemicals play crucial roles in identification of species, regulation of water content of the web and protection against microorganisms. Presence of 12- methyltetradecanic acid and 14-methyl hexadecanoic acid in less amounts impart antimicrobial properties to the spider silk. Wax like esters are also present in the su rface of the spider silk. Macroscopic Structure of Dragline Silk: Dragline spider silk is golden yellow in color and has circular cross section with a mean diameter of about 7 ÃŽÂ ¼m [19, 38, 54]. It lacks glue-like protein, similar to that of silkworm silk, as its associated with dragline fiber [56]. The dragline spider silk consists of semi crystalline polymeric structures with numerous small crystallites between amorphous regions. The mechanical properties of the dragline silk are highly influenced by the composition of the amino acids, insect size, diet, body temperature and drawing speed [99, 124]. The breaking strength of silk increases linearly with increasing spider weight and breaks at stress of about six times the spiders weight [47, 100, 129]. The average tensile strength of the dragline of Nephila clavipes is almost three times that of Bombyx mori (1.3 0.5 GPa, respectively). Tensile strength of spider silk reduces, when it is subjected to acidic rain and UV radiation [133]. Spider silks can u ndergo large tensile and compression deformations. The ability of spider silk to resist transverse compression is lower than that of many textile fibers like Kevlar 29, nylon 5, polyester and wool. REGENERATED SPIDER SILK PROTEIN BY ARTIFICIAL ROUTE: Forced Silking (Reeling) of Spider Silk Reeling devices have been developed for forced silking of dragline from the glands of anaesthetized Nephila clavipes [78, 115,140, 141] to reel about 3-5 mg of silk in one session. Splicing of silk genes into two different cell lines have been tried in the past using bovine mammary cells and hamster kidney cells, to produce large volumes of recombinant proteins [49, 135]. Successful sequencing of genes of the flagella form silk of tropical spider Nephila clavipes and N. madagascariensis has been achieved lately [39]. Recombinant DNA technology for microbial proteins [144, 150, 151] appears to be advantageous compared to that of chemical synthesis due to low cost, rapid preparation and absence of by-products. A team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN) the University of Wyoming (Laramie), and Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc. (Lansing, MI) have succeeded in producing transgenic silkworms. The advantage of these animals is that they can spin artificial spider silk with strength and flexibile attributes similar to those of native spider silk. Until this breakthrough, only very small quantities of artificial spider silk had been produced in the laboratories. Kraig Biocraft believed these limitations can be overcome through use of recombinant DNA. This biotechnological approach can be used to produce silk fibers with a broad range of physical properties or with predetermined properties optimized for specific biomedical or other applications. From the known sequence of the spider silk protein, genes are constructed and expressed using E. Coli as the host, which has been successfully used earlier for silkworm silk [160]. Genes of spider dragline silk have been inserted into mammary gland cells along with regulatory elements. Insertion of the genes into eggs of single cell goat has been tried. This was purposely done to produce water-soluble silk protein [154, 156, 165]. Few milligrams of genetically engineered silk like protein has been successfully produced based on the sequence of spider protein [155]. APPLICATIONS: Though availability of the dragline silk is limited, it is widely used in defence [4,] and medical [11] applications. Structural similarity and comparable properties of dragline and Kevlar [127, 180] makes it more attractive for applications where high performance, in terms of physical properties is in demand. Until World War II, spider silk was used as crossed-hairs in optical devices including microscopes, telescope and bomb guiding systems [4]. Silk strands of the web have an ability to elongate when an insect is caught, convert the preys momentum i.e. kinetic energy into heat, and dissipate about 70% of the converted energy. The web also gently rebounds so as not to catapult the insect back out. This ability to dissipate energy at very high strain rates makes spider silk suitable for body armour system and ideal for ballistic protection [131, 140]. Though biodegradability is a helpful aspect for sutures, it is as unwanted in high performance applications such as bulletproof vests. A very low glass transition temperature of -50o C to 60o C enables it to absorb sudden shocks at low atmospheric temperature and makes the spider silk suitable for parachute applications. However, super contraction in water is undesirable for use in the fabrication of parachutes [174, 175]. Earlier use of spider silk in the form of web, rather than a fiber, includes wound dressing to help blood clot and fishing nets. Spider silk protein can be used to coat the medical implants for better performance. Surgical thread, biomembranes and scaffolds for tissue engineering are the possible areas of application in biomedical and biomaterial fields. Due to low inflammatory potential of silk proteins and antithrombic nature, recombinant spider silk has potential applications in sutures for eye surgery, artificial tendon and ligaments for knee construction. Spider silk with higher safety co-efficient can be used in structural applications like elevator ropes, bridges and pillars [100]. CONCLUSION The dragline silk offers excellent physical and chemical properties that can withstand adverse and extreme conditions than many of the existing natural and synthetic fibers. Though the chemical synthesis seems to be unfruitful in many aspects, the recombination method of producing the spider silk using biological hosts proves to be a viable option for producing the spider silk in a large scale. In spite of various successful attempts made in the production of dragline silk in the laboratory scales, controlling the molecular conformation and their aggregation during the spinning for achieving properties similar to the native fiber still remains as a challenge to be addressed through future research.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Interbrand Brand Valuation

Interbrand Brand Valuation The Interbrand method is extremely popular for valuation of brands and has been adopted in several practical purposes such as brand valuation of various food-related and beverage brands such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Kelloggs, Cadbury, Wrigleys and Nestle. This method majorly discusses about the extra earnings an associated brand can generate for a company or companies over a considerable period of time. The brand value is then calculated to be the present value of these discounted additional earnings which the brand generates. The method indicates the need for choosing the target markets by segmentation of the markets through various parameters such as geographic, demographic and psychographic variables. After analysing the markets and performing a proper financial analysis in the form of estimated revenues, units of sales, associated costs and forecasts, we need to analyse what are the demand drivers of the brand. For example, in this case of evaluating the Kingfisher brand, some of the parameters of demand drivers would be related to the level of need of the brand, the elasticity of pricing the brand, the number of competitors and substitutes in a given geographical region, etc. A competitive benchmarking analysis is done to recognize the gaps associated with the branding processes and strategies adopted by Kingfisher in comparison to its competitors. Finally, the brand earnings are calculated and the brand discount rate in different specific periods for the relevant time horizon to find the brand value which is the net present value of forecasted brand earnings of Kingfisher. Determination of Kingfisher brands weighted average differential EBIT We will calculate the additional EBIT by using the formula:- Differential EBIT = (EBIT) branded (EBIT) unbranded Where EBIT i.e. Earnings before interest and taxes is the operating profit of the company. It is equal to Net Sales Total Expenditure. In order to calculate the differential EBIT, we have used a similar brewery company in India, called Mount Shivalik Breweries Industries (MSBL), which is a public listed company which has been in existence since 1972. The company is primarily into the business of manufacturing and supplying draught beer in the Union territory of Chandigarh. It caters to both the strong beer segment as well as the mild beer segment, with the flagship brands being Thunderbolt and Golden Peacock. Although, 95% of the beer supplies to the pubs and bars in Chandigarh are being catered from MSBL, it still doesnt match to the brand quality of Kingfisher which is globally recognized. Hence, we have preferred to use MSBL as an unbranded company. Hence, Kingfishers differential EBIT is:- (EBIT) Kingfisher (EBIT) MSBL We have calculated the differential EBIT for the last three fiscals and then the present value has been found out by compounding them with the discount rate used as average inflation rate. The calculations are shown below:- We have taken a conservative approach of considering the brand horizon to be around three years because efforts of brand building like heavy investment in marketing of the brand, R D efforts for inventing new technologies, etc have an effect of at least 3 years after which there is a need for change in business process restructuring. The EBITs are proportionately weighted according to the standard amortizing schedule of 1:2:3, with the most recent year getting the highest weightage of 3. The relevant calculations are shown below:- Average Inflation Rate for the past 3 years = 10.5 % Determination of brand differential earnings The formula for brand differential earnings is given below:- Brand differential earnings = Weighted differential EBIT capital charge Tax The capital charge is estimated by multiplying the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) with the amount of capital employed by the Kingfisher brand (part of United Breweries Limited group). The average WACC is estimated by using a period of past five years and forecasting the data for next five years. The WACC calculation for the United Breweries Limited (UBL) company is shown below:- The Beta for the United Breweries industry has been taken from capital for the years 2005 to 2010. The forecasted years data i.e the beta for years 2011 to 2015 has been estimated by using the 3-year moving average method, wherein the beta for year 2011 is the average of the betas for the preceding three years 2008-2010. Similarly, the D/E ratio for future years has been calculated by using the 3-year moving average method. The cost of equity for each year has been calculated by using the CAPM formula given below:- Ke = Rf + Beta*Market Risk Premium The average WACC is calculated by using the 3-yr moving average method of the forecasted years 2013-2015. The calculations are shown below:- The brand differential earnings calculations are shown below:- Determination of Brand Strength and Brand Multiplier The assessment of brand strength takes into account the following factors:- Leadership ability to influence the market Stability ability to maintain a consumer franchise Market vulnerability of market demand to changes in tastes or technology International Scope cross national/cultural potential Trend long term appeal to consumers Support strength of communications Protection security of the brand owners legal or property rights The greater is the brand strength of a company, the higher is its associated brand multiple. Typically, brand multiple ranges from 6 to 20. We have tried to quantify the factors of brand strength by relating each factor with the quantifiable variables related to the operational performance of the UBL company in general and the Kingfisher brand specifically. They are shown below:- Leadership factor of the brand can be estimated by looking at the market share, net profit margin (NPM) it generates, market capitalization (Mkt. Cap.), and investor returns (ROE), estimated revenue growth (Rev. CAGR) and estimated profit growth (NP. CAGR) over the years. Stability factor can be measured by the volatility of the net profit margin (NP Var%) of the Kingfisher brand over the years We have compared the Kingfisher brand to its top ten competitors in the breweries industry and hence we did not incorporate any distinguishing factor of the brand in terms of distinct market conditions. International scope of the brand can be measured by the level of exports it generates The Trend factor of Kingfisher brand or any brand in general can be estimated by correlating with the change in return on assets. Typically, return on assets would be higher for high-quality assets. Brands tend to perform better with quality assets available for production, sales and marketing and consistent research and development. The level of Support for a brand would be reflected by additional investments to maintain the goodwill of the brand. The brands Protection could be quantified by analysing its threats against acquisition, bankruptcy and other financial distress costs related to management. The most efficient measure we could use to quantify the protection is interest coverage ratio (ICR). We have assumed that all the above seven parameters have an equal weight to the brand strength of Kingfisher, except the market factor which we have taken as zero. Brand Strength = Leadership + Stability + Market + Internationality + Trend + Support + Protection The operational performance of the top seven companies (current data available for seven companies only) of the breweries industry in India has been compared to that of Kingfisher in order to estimate the brand strength of Kingfisher. The relevant data has been extracted from Capitaline. The columns highlighted in yellow contain negative values and needs to be normalized as shown by the data below. The remaining columns have already been normalized. The seven companies have been ranked from top to bottom on the basis of market share they hold which is equal to company net sales as a percentage of industry net sales. Similarly market capitalization has been normalized as a percentage of total industry market capitalization. Export revenues and S A (Selling and Administration) expenses are a percentage of the total net revenues and total expenses of the company respectively. The Revenue CAGR and NP. CAGR are calculated by averaging the growth rates of revenues and net profit respective ly for the past three years i.e. 2008-2010. The columns in yellow are normalized by the process of assigning highest weights to the maximum value and assigning lowest weights to the minimum value. For example, in order to normalize the net profit margin (NPM), we have assigned a weight of 6 to Globus Spirits followed by a 5 to Mount Shivalik and finally going on assigning weights of 4, 3, 2 and 1 in the descending order to the remaining companies with a weight of 0 being assigned to SKOL Breweries, which has the minimum NPM of -10.39. All the other negative values are also given weights ranging from 0 to 1 depending on their proportion i.e. a higher negative value of -3.93 would be given a lower weight of say 0.1 compared to a lower negative value of -2.54 which would be given a weight of say 0.5. The method of assigning weights to negative values has been purely done on a subjective basis and there is scope of further improvements. The other columns have also been normalized in the same fashion. The normalized table is shown in the next page:- We can now calculate the consolidated brand strength based on the measured values of the quantifiable variables which relates to the seven factors responsible for brand strength. The consolidated values of each of the seven factors are shown in the next page below. The brand strength factors such as leadership and trend which are measured by more than one quantifying variables are consolidated and then the average of the consolidated value is taken to reflect the corresponding factor. This is shown in the next page. The next step which we need to incorporate is to find out the relationship between brand strength and brand multiplier. The Interbrand S-curve is shown below. The S-curve function is approximated using a sigmoid function wherein we have the relation, brand multiplier = f (brand strength). From the paper Valuation of Brands and Intellectual Capital written by Pablo Fernandez, we have estimated the brand multiple of Kingfisher brand by interpolating its corresponding brand strength using the source as the four values of brand strength and corresponding brand multiples mentioned in the paper. From the S-curve above, we can roughly estimate that the brand multiple for a brand strength of 1 would be equal to 0.7. A brand strength of 38 has a brand multiple of 6.3 as shown in the table beside. Hence, the brand multiple of Kingfisher brand for a brand strength of 16.63 % would be equivalent to:- Brand multiple = 0.7 + {(6.3 0.7)/ (38-1)}*16.63 = 3.217 Hence brand value of Kingfisher brand is estimated to be equal to:- Brand Value of Kingfisher = brand multiple*Kingfisher brand differential earnings = 3.217*72.87 = 234.42 crores Royalty Relief Brand Valuation Method This method is one of the most efficient methods currently used for brand valuation as per industry practises. In this approach, a royalty rate is estimated by the brand owner/licensor, which needs to be paid by the third party/licensee for using the brand defined under the guidelines of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) usage. The brand value would then be determined by the present value of the royalty stream after taxes. The methodology used in the royalty savings method or the royalty relief method comprises of the following steps:- Estimate the branded net sales for the planning horizon (generally three to five years) Determine a reasonable royalty rate that the two unrelated parties would have set for the transfer of comparable brands in an arms length transaction Multiply the estimated royalty rate by the projected sales of the brand over its economic life. The result represents annual royalty savings Apply a fiscal charge in each period to estimate the after-tax royalty savings for each Estimate the brands perpetual growth rate, economic useful life and discount rate Discount the royalty stream after taxes at present value The royalty rate used for estimating the future royalty streams in the planning horizon, depends on several factors. They are:- The brand strength The duration and termination provisions of the agreement The licenses exclusivity The parties negotiating power The products life cycle The local market conditions, particularly the margins earned in the local market The level of operating margin or licensees sales. Generally, the 25% rule and the 5% rule are associated with this factor. The 25% rule states that the royalty rate is estimated to be 25% of the operating profit of the licensees sales whereas the 5% rule states that the royalty rate is estimated to be 5% of sales. We have tried to estimate the royalty rate by comparing with the brand strength we obtained from the Interbrand brand valuation method. The relationship table between brand strength / brand scores between 0-100 and royalty rates has been taken from a paper whose source is mentioned below the table:- The formula for calculating the royalty rate for brand strength of 16.63 from the above table is shown below. It is a basic method of interpolation. Royalty rate = 1.0 + {(7.0 1.0) / (50 0)}*16.63 = 2.996 % of net sales We have assumed that the economic life of a brand is approximately around three years after which the branding of the product (in this case Kingfisher) needs to be changed in the form of better RD efforts, operational excellence, advanced innovative campaigns, etc. The calculations of brand value using the royalty rate method is shown below:- Thus, using the royalty relief method we see that the brand value of Kingfisher is 224.52 crores which is almost equal to the brand value we have obtained from the Interbrand brand valuation method. Here we have assumed that the economic life of the Kingfisher brand is 3 years. Its a subjective assumption; however the assumption is based on the industry practises of brand valuation methodologies used.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world, They got no family, :: Free Essay Writer

Guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world, They got no family, they don’t belong no place. Discuss the theme of loneliness portrayed in of Mice and Men. â€Å"Guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world, They got no family, they don’t belong no place† Discuss the theme of loneliness portrayed in â€Å"of Mice and Men† â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck is the story of two farm hands, Lennie and George working up a stake on a ranch so maybe they can buy a place of their own â€Å"An’ live off the fatta the lan’.† George is smart and small where as Lennie is a massively strong giant of a man yet as innocent and simple minded as a young child who relies on George as a protector and mentor. There is a theme of loneliness running through the book which comes from John Steinbecks own experiences of working the land. When George starts his story about what life will be like when they get a plot of land he starts it â€Å"guys like us.† He’s talking about Ranch hands and labourers like him and Lennie probably forced to search for jobs because of the economic recession at the time the book was set. The labourers were nearly always single men who have very unstable jobs and would have had to move on once the job was done (once the harvest was collected for example). Their hard itinerant lifestyle was very lonely as the men were separated from any friends they’d made as soon as their job was finished. So the ranch hands often blew all the money they’d just earned on whisky and prostitutes to drown their sorrows and forget their problems and as the men usually travelled away from their home they â€Å"don’t belong no place.† Because Steinbeck had experienced this way of life he really captures the atmosphere and loneliness of the ranch with details that make you feel like you are there. Like in the bunkhouse, not only does he describe it like he’s lived in it and knows just what it looks like, he includes details of the behaviour of its inhabitants to hint at the atmosphere of the place and bring it to life. For example â€Å"western Magazines ranch men love to read and scoff at and secretly believe† the word secretly shows how the men have to keep their real feelings hidden from the others to appear strong and survive, like any weakness would leave them vulnerable to attack. Most of the men are guarded from each other like this, Curley’s wife draws the readers attention

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Story Of An Hour :: essays research papers

The aspirations and expectations of freedom can lead to both overwhelming revelations and melancholy destruction. In Kate Chopin’s â€Å" The Story of an Hour† Louise Mallard is stricken with the news of her husband’s â€Å"death† and soon lead to new found glory of her freedom and then complete catastrophe in the death of herself. Chopin’s use of irony and the fluctuation in tone present the idea that freedom can be given or taken away without question and can kill without warning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After learning of her husband’s death in a railroad disaster, Mrs. Mallard sinks into a deep state of grief, as one would be expected to do upon receiving such news. â€Å"She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arm’s†, shows that the tone was of despair and heartache. Though, as the sights and sounds of spring reveal themselves through the window, the tone dramatically changes to a tasteful, newfound youth. The thoughts of â€Å"delicious breath of rain† or â€Å"notes of a distant song† bring the feeling of livelihood to one. Then, the words â€Å"Free, free, free!†, express Mrs. Mallard’s realization that her life from now on is her own, and will not be succumbed to the needs and wishes of her husband. Her pulse increases and her chest rises with fervor, as she â€Å"recognizes this thing that was approaching to posses her†, which depicts how the tone, once again is about to change. She has now found a new desire for life. However, without warning, the tone abruptly reverts back to its grief stricken â€Å" horror.† As Mr. Mallard walks in the door, her thoughts, dreams, and aspirations, quickly fade away. Louise’s heart, so weak, simply stops and all bliss transfers into extreme heartache. The drastic changes of tone reveals that freedom can be given and taken from someone in a heartbeat and the heartache will always remain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The apparent use of irony in Chopin’s story presents the idea of whether freedom does in fact result in the state of felicity. At first her ideas of freedom are sorrowful and her heart is broken because of the distraught news. Though the inexplicable feelings of freedom soon exhume her body and the future is now the focus of her mind. Ironically, her new found freedom is what soon leads to her devastating loss of life. â€Å"A kind intention or a cruel intention† expresses that no matter it be immoral or virtuous, the feeling of liberation from her â€Å"late† husband aids in her youthful

Anne of Green Gables Essay -- L.M. Montgomery Anne of Green Gables Ess

Anne of Green Gables Mind over Matter. As clichà © as this statement sounds, L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables proves the idea to be true. Throughout the novel, Anne continually uses her imagination to help her persevere through difficult situations. This novel also highlights the importance and power one’s attitude has in shaping the outcome of a situation or event, and carries a powerful message that people control their own happiness. Numerous times, Anne, the protagonist, is faced with less than ideal circumstances, but she is determined to have an optimistic attitude and make the best of each situation. As a result of this positive determination, the outcome is always in Anne’s favor. Anne Shirley is an eleven year-old orphan who lived in the early 1900s, in very poor conditions in several foster homes and then an orphan asylum, yet maintained a bright outlook on life. While in the foster homes where she was treated as a servant, and then in the orphan asylum, Anne used her imagination to get her through daily life. She developed imaginary friends who she talked to about her hopes, fears, and dreams for the future. According to Anne, these friendships were, â€Å"the comfort and consolation of my life† (Montgomery 58). Anne’s imagination was her survival instinct enabling her to persevere through the trials of being orphaned early in life. Explaining her history, Anne stated, â€Å"It was a very lonely place, I am sure I never could have lived there if I hadn’t an imagination† (40). While reflecting on her own experience, Anne remarked that a child with less imagination than herself would not have survived her circumstances. After a traumatic experience early in her life in two, cheerless foster homes, and then an orphan... ...tude does affect the outcome of your circumstance, as her positive attitude always leads her to find the best in a situation: â€Å"When I left Queen’s my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don’t know what lies around the bend, but I am going to believe that the best does† (303). If you continue to read the Anne of Green Gables series, you will discover that Anne’s positive attitude prevails, and that life holds much joy for her. Life is not fair, and people will still experience difficult times regardless of their attitude, but Anne shows society that people are responsible for their own joy, and a positive attitude and a little imagination can help make the best of each situation. Works Cited Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables. Toronto: Seal Books, 1908

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Guitar Concert Critique

From Left to Right: Danica Rae Espiritu, Jerico S. Dela Cruz, Darla Denielle R. Felizardo, April Jane B. Luna, Judith D. Domingo, Angelo Gabriel I. Manila Last February 14, a guitar concert took place at the University of the Philippines Los Banos. The concert held in NCAS auditorium was entitled 12 strings with Nobel Queano and Franco Maigne as the artists. I. General Reaction a. Physical Setup Upon entering the auditorium, you will already feel the classy ambiance of the whole venue which matches perfectly with the music being played in the venue. Some members of the group have also some insights about the venue.According to Darla, the setup was stunning. She was impressed with the design of curtains and the lights. She also said that the dominance of the color red in the setup added to the Valentines ambiance, giving the audience that romantic and lovely feeling along with the sweet harmony and melody of the two guitars. For Jerico, he was also grateful with the lights in the even t but for him, he suggested that it will be better if the lights will be in sync with the rhythm of the music. For April, she felt that the venue was very sophisticated and made her feel at home. The lights also made the venue extra-special.Angelo felt that the stage was too rigid for some movements. The whole group agreed that the sound system was very good because there were no faulty errors on the whole duration of the concert. b. Personal Reaction Overall, it was really a great show. Although some students find it boring, majority in our group find the concert to be enjoyable and interesting. For Darla, she said that she definitely did not waste her 100 pesos for the ticket because the setup was beautiful, the artists were great, and the music being played was so relaxing. She also said that it was a good stress-reliever after a long day in class.For Angelo, he thought that the concert would be continuous with no breaks and that the artists would not be able to have some talking to the audience, but they did. He also said that the set of classical songs are so good that he almost felt the feeling of the one that composed the pieces. He also added that the addition of modern songs in the set list is great because it matches the audience’s genre. Danica was so amazed with how the artists play and handle the guitar but she felt that it was little boring to listen because she didn’t know most of the songs that were played. c. RepertoireIn terms of the artists’ set list, our group also agrees that they have a good set of songs. Although most of the songs played were not familiar, they really made an effort to make their pieces to be appreciated. According to Danica, you can really feel the love of the two artists to Spanish Music through their setlist. She also said that it was a good line up actually, because it was a combination of slow and upbeat music. She said that it was clearly a good picture for students like us what classical music really mean. For Jerico, he liked the set list because the artists included an opm which really made him appreciate the concert more.For Darla, although she didn’t know most of the songs that they played, she liked how the artists arranged their pieces and she felt like she was going through a timeline of music. II. One Favorite Composition Majority of the members in our group liked the â€Å"Super Mario Medley† which was composed by Koji Kondo for the game â€Å"Mario†. They liked it because of the arrangement done by the artists and even the little effects were given emphasize such as the melody when Mario shoots, when he grows, and when he shrink back to his original size. They felt that it was amusing and heartwarming and they left the audience craving for more.They also noticed that the elements of music such as melody, harmony, and rhythm changes accordingly to the parts of the medley they played. Also, even though they made their own arrangement for it, the people still recognized that it was the Super Mario theme. Overall, it was executed in a perfect way. Jerico on the other hand has a different favorite composition. His favorite composition was â€Å"Sana Maulit Muli† which was composed, arranged and sang by Mr. Gary Valenciano. He liked the sound of the song because of its varying dynamics.The harmony and the melody of the song makes it more appealing to the mass. Angelo also has another favorite; his favorite was â€Å"Love Story† which was sang by Taylor Swift. . He liked it because it is polyphony and it emphasizes fast tempo and repetitive melodic patterns. III. Performance a. Artists’ Skill in Playing the Instrument There is no doubt that the artists were really good. They play the instruments really really well. They handled the guitar almost perfectly that it seems that it was very easy and light to play. The displayed their talents in a very awesome way that they left the audience in awe.They were s o good in playing the guitars since the classical songs that they played were made for piano and orchestra, yet they managed to play those pieces perfectly. We were also amazed when they told us that the other one plays with his left hand while the other one plays with his right hand. Amazing indeed! Seeing them play makes us want to learn how to play the guitar as brilliant as them. b. Stage Presence and Audience Rapport In terms of stage presence, our group agreed that the artists have great stage presence. The crowd went crazy when they play familiar songs and the crowd often sings with the music and clap at each piece.The introduction of the song before they play it creates a connection between the audience and the artists making the audience really tuned into their performance. It is also good that they played two popular songs towards the end. They made sure that the audience can relate and sing along to the pieces that they performed. All in all, the concert was a great perfo rmance indeed. Love Story, which was the last song for that night was really perfect for Valentine’s Day. Overall, it was really and inspiring show. By watching the concert we learned to appreciate guitar and classical music even more.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Animal Kingdom 54

Animal Kingdom Humans have always had an interaction with animals since the beginning of time. They hunted animals for survival, and humans were their prey. However, scientists believe that our ancient relatives â€Å"treated the animals with respect. †(Stetson). So why do we continue to consume and brutally murder, and torture animals for the means of food and clothing when there is this claim to â€Å"love† and â€Å"care for† animals? We should treat all animals with kindness and respect. We should learn to understand them and not treat them as equals.We owe it to animals to show empathy and treat them better to become better people at heart. Animals such as dogs or cats kept as pets hold strong companionships with their owners in our society. Some humans consider animals to be mindless while others don’t, but I believe that they are capable of love, emotion, and thought process. Although, animals do not speak a language we can understand we can certain ly see their intelligence. They’re capable of unconditional love and learning. Humans should have respect to our fellow non human animals.There are so many animals that serve a purpose in this life than just being a pet or for a means of food or entertainment. Dogs, for example are particularly helpful as certified service animals to help the blind. There are stories all over the nation of the selfless acts animals perform to save humans from death or accidents. Hurting poor defenseless animals is just cruel and inhumane and really says a lot about the person’s character that would actually do such a thing. The characteristics of animals are similar to those of humans.They care for their young just like human parents nurture their young. They’re capable of showing affection, happiness, and sadness. So how is that not proof of feeling? Animals have different characteristics just like those similar to humans. But they rely more on animal instinct than anything els e. We as humans rely more on logic. Animal abuse happens all over through various forms such as animal entertainment, animal testing, and hunting. These animals that are being used in the media industry, fights, circuses, and lab testing are treated poorly and these events sometimes even lead to death.What do these actions say about humans? How can we carry out these inhumane acts where animals are being hunted for their fur, tusks, and feathers? People who are associated with trading animals for consumption treat the animals most cruelly. Those individuals care more about their profits than treating animals with respect. â€Å"We know what we see on undercover videos of factory farms and slaughterhouses is wrong. (There are those who will defend a system that allows for occasional animal cruelty, but no one defends the cruelty, itself. )† (Foer 431).I don’t believe that eating meat can actually be a form of animal abuse, but â€Å"We have so internalized this behavio r-â€Å"meat†-eating-that we do not even recognize it as a choice, but rather blindly accept it as a normal and necessary way of life; â€Å"meat† consumption is ‘just the way it is. ’† (Garbato). No one should be forced to stop eating animal â€Å"meat† because it is a choice that we all have. â€Å"Food is not rational. Food is culture, habit, craving and identity. † (Foer 431). The horrific treatments of animals in factories which are later bought for consumption should have stricter regulations.Animals shouldn’t have to suffer and be tortured in so many ways for our essentials. â€Å"100 years ago, animals were considered nothing more than possessions; the properties of humans. No thought was ever given as to how the animals felt. Nothing was done to prevent the suffering of animals. † (Angelicguides). Many animals are still considered possessions, and are dying for a means of meeting the population’s needs for food, entertainment, clothing etc. There has got to be a better way to be more humane towards defenseless animals.Cruelty towards animals reflects our true character and we should strive to be more kind. We should learn from animals and experience the same peace they live in on a daily basis. â€Å"But I might learn something of mindlessness, something of the purity of living in the physical senses and the dignity of living without bias or motive. † (Dillard 351). For that reason we should treat animals with respect and kindness because they can show us the true beauty of life and I think we can learn how to become better people.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Ashlyfive point linguistic star Essay

We’ve allowed a natural approach to language instruction to dominate our schools, hoping our English learners â€Å"will just figure it out. † (SCOE, 2009) This approach suggested by Kevin Clark proposes that teachers explicitly teach ELL by giving them a set of skills. Teacher will have to teach students not just vocabulary, but the sound system of language, the words and their word parts and meanings, and also rules for structuring sentences grammatically. Teaching students from this perspective can support a deeper understanding of the language. When the  concept is thoroughly supported by background knowledge, explanation as to why, activities that strengthen skills, and consistency in lesson structure that follows this pattern, students are more likely to understand the concept and create a platform from which to launch higher level thinking and conclusions on following concepts and content area. Students learn more efficiently when they have prior knowledge on a presented concept. If the student can link content to a concept that they gained from previous knowledge on from their own unique background or culture, it  will inevitably spark interest in that subject area. By sparking interest the teacher is now adding value to the lesson. Since students synonymize interest with value, the teacher would prove effective. Now a sense of purpose has now been infused into the lesson, and the student/students may begin to contribute more. (NCREL, 1990) This approach is rather intriguing, and teachers should be trained in linguistics prior to teaching ELLs. I would learn the subparts of linguistics via a course: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. By learning each subpart in-depth, I can better compose lesson plans and activities that explore those areas for the ELLs to better benefit. Understanding the mechanics of a language is just as important as understanding the language itself, for both teachers and students. The concept of prior knowledge should not be limited to the students but 2 LINGUISTIC APPROACH teachers should utilize this concept for their own effective instruction. If teachers have prior knowledge of the subparts of the English language, as well as knowledge of the diverse cultures  he/she is instructing can help the teacher create and blend a comprehensive and student-inclusive lesson plan and curriculum. Prior knowledge influences how the teacher and students interact with the learning materials as both individuals and a group. (Kujawa and Huske, 1995) Prior knowledge assists in segue of appropriate instruction and retention, because it is a foundation from which to build from and facilitates the idea of making sense of the educational experience. As the students are learning from the linguistic perspective, especially under syntax and  semantics, students would be primed for grammatical instruction, also. As they learn how, where and when to use appropriate vocabulary, I will insert instruction on main grammatical principles and rules and branch off into further instruction where applicable. I would try to make sound non-confusing connections with the native language grammatical principles, so there is a prior knowledge foundation established in that arena as well. I would also have a grammar day in the middle of the week to review prior concepts and morph new grammar lessons into the lesson  plan and utilize formative assessment strategies to see what needs to be reviewed and further defined. 3 LINGUISTIC APPROACH References Kujawa, S. , & Huske, L. (1995). The Strategic Teaching and Reading Project guidebook (Rev. ed. ). Oak Brook, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Restructuring to promote learning in America’s schools, videoconference #2: The thinking curriculum. (1990). Oak Brook, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Sonoma County Office of Education. (2009) Structuring language instruction to advance stalled English learners. Aiming High Resource. Retrieved September 16 2014. 4

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

What is the minimum allowance of a college student?

Minimum allowance of a student is base on how much their parents have to give them. We all know that a college student had much greater need than in high school days. We very much interested this issue because every one of us can relate this topic. Mostly of us don’t know how to manage their allowance and organize a budget. To budget your allowance is one way of showing your parents that you can be trusted and you’re responsible enough.We sometimes temp to buy things which are not really important and temp to hang out with friends which are not included in your budgetary allowance. â€Å"For most students, college represents a crash course on how to manage money and organize a budget. If a student has never paid for his or her living expenses, the experience can often be frightening and over whelming. Stick to a budget while at college to enjoy life without sacrificing comfort or taking away from the experience† (frazier, 2006). This study will help you more abou t allowance budget and gives you some extra tips.As students, we often whine about our allowance due to financial dilemmas and we should remember how to budget our allowance or better yet we should be thrifty enough so that in a way we’ll be able to help our parents. The aim of the scheme is to ensure the need to meet day-to-day living expenses doesn’t act as a barrier to full time education for students from low and socio-economic group. Allowance – the amount of something that is experimented especially within set of regulations or for a specified purpose; to put upon a fixed allowance (as to provisions and drinks); to supply in fixed and limited quantity.It states that allowance will be limited we must have to spend it wisely. We should have a self awareness. Some students are doing a part time. â€Å"Part-time students who can show they are not expected to study 21 hours a week or more should still be able to claim Career’s Allowance. The reason why we like to conduct a study regarding the student’s allowance is that we would like to know if how and where they are going to spend their allowance and is it enough in their day-to-day living expenses. There are many reasons why we should have this study.One of the reasons is the behavior of a person. â€Å"Behaviorism identifies mental states with disposition to act in certain input situations† (Crumley, 1978). This has something to do with our interaction to our surroundings, like if someone invites you to go shopping then you know that you don’t have extra budget for it then you should say no to them. The other reason is a decision making. â€Å"Some preliminary work needs to be done before we can come up with a decision that we will not later regret† (Teays, 2006).Example for this is when you go out with friends then you think it’s their treat then you’ll be surprise because you’re asking to contribute. In budgeting they need cost of living. † Student Financial Aid establishes a modest, yet adequate cost of living allowance to determine financial aid eligibility each school year. This allowance includes housing and utilities, food, transportation, personal and miscellaneous, and medical expenses. Student Financial Aid establishes a modest, yet adequate cost of living allowance to determine financial aid eligibility each school year.This allowance includes housing and utilities, food, transportation, personal and miscellaneous, and medical expenses. †Theoretical BackgroundStudents all over the world spend in several different ways, but close market research on student spending indicates that there are several common patterns that can be seen. Spending habits in adolescents is changing drastically in the last few years, but that change is almost uniform in all the metros of the world. Commercialization has begun targeting students' spending habits a very long time ago (IFIM Students Lifestyle and S pending Habits, 2009).According to a study conducted by a bank and financial institution, youths fork over money to buy cell phone load, to play computer games at Internet cafes and to buy cigarettes and alcohol. They also spend money on going out and on clothes and accessories (TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News, 2010). Teens hang out and shop. Teens are active consumers in terms of the money they spend, as well as in the influence they wield in their families and on societal trends. Despite being raised in a period of rapid change, they display a remarkable self-confidence in their judgment (Tempo, 2010).A lot of the number of students seems to wants what is the â€Å"in† trend, what people are doing or using â€Å"right now†. Most teens will usually have one or two sources of income, either allowance from their parents or a job. The answer to this question isn't found by looking at the income of the family or social status, it's more a way of living and rearing that the paren ts have given their children (Felipe, 2007). â€Å"Despite the Filipino teens’ having limited budget to spend, low price does not necessarily make any brand a shoo-in for their patronage,† explained Ming Barcelona, TNS Philippines Associate Research Director.â€Å"The TRU study reminds us the mindsets, preferences and purchasing habits of Filipino teens, whether on brand values, the latest product offerings, or on values and social issues should not be ignored,† added Gary de Ocampo, TNS Philippines Managing Director. Statement of the Problem. The study discussed the Student’s Allowance here in La Salle University, Ozamiz City. Specifically, this study seeks answers to the following questions: 1. How did the parents give their allowance to their offspring’s? 2. How much their allowance daily, weekly or monthly? 3. Does the student live by their own budget?Significance of the Study.This study signifies the benefits of all the students in La Salle Un iversity for them to be aware to the expenses of their parents, and can be lessen about the financial issues. To overcome such predicament, there are many ways to lessen the problem and one of this is having a part time job so that this dilemma will no longer be the barrier in the academic performance of the student. Also, they must learn to be thrifty and spend their money wisely. For future researchers, it may be nice if you include the effects. V. Scope and Limitations. The study focused on the images of the students as wasting their money allowance.Although, researchers thinking as much to settle the proper using of their allowance in order that the days, weeks and months further as they customized. To analyze the different ways by evaluated the rules. The researchers used and limits this study to the image of women as students allowances in selected different models. These images of transforming were examined and compared to the students today. The researchers choose this topic for the study to show the value of womanhood by understanding deeply the roles of student and are able to understand the story of different time.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Electoral college Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Electoral college - Essay Example Their understanding being that the electors sent by the individual states would most likely prevent the election of an individual who threatens to consolidate power within the federal government. The Electoral College really favours the states, since it ensures there is more attention to the less populous states which would otherwise be at the risk of being sidelined and ignored by the presidential candidates. This means that if people elected the president directly, candidates would more likely shift their attention to population-rich states such as Texas, California and New York rather than small states like Nevada, Wisconsin and New Mexico. Another better argument for Electoral College is that it produces clear winners, and contrasts sharply with the popular vote which has always remained quite close in almost all presidential elections. The Electoral College is a disadvantage to the individual voter since it violates the rule of one person, one vote, which actually would be the best rule of a vibrant modern democracy. All in all the Electoral College has always helped magnify the scope of the incoming candidate’s victory and for someone entrusted with the most high-profile job in the world, an additional boost of legitimacy cannot be

Monday, August 12, 2019

Importance of Organizations Concerned With Elderly Populace Essay

Importance of Organizations Concerned With Elderly Populace - Essay Example Ageing comes with several diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Werner syndrome and renal failure. These conditions should be prevented or treated immediately. Therefore, organizations that deal with ageing populace such as AARP have doctors and nurses who are qualified and competent in old age-related diseases. Â  Their programs cater for fitness activities that include body and mental exercises to prevent related diseases. The elderly populace train in the gym with a qualified trainer competent in old-age exercises, and involve in mental games to jog their brains (Howard, 2012). Â  Examples of elderly games include music therapy, video, digital and computer games (National Council on Aging, 2012). These activities prevent diseases, unify the elderly and keep them busy thus they maintain their health.3. Government benefits most of the elderly populace have stopped working and are dependent individuals who need financial assistance. The organizations have come into aid since th ese individuals may have no family members alive who can aid in the paperwork. The organizations assume this task and solicit the funds for them (National Council on Aging, 2012). The funds are partly given to organizations and partly given to individuals. This is to ensure an efficient program by the organization and financial independence for the elderly. Â  The organizations use the money for shelter, garments, foodstuff, healthcare and other festive activities like world tours for the elderly, which unifies them.

Brand Creation and Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brand Creation and Advertising - Essay Example In the era of rapid globalization, global advertising is important element of creating and maintaining enviable market position of products across the globe. Effective brand advertising therefore, facilitates good market positioning of the products and holds true for all type of companies, wishing to expand and exploit global market to gain necessary leverage. Hamsini Shivkumar’s article on the challenges faced in global advertising are succinct and give useful insight into the factors that can make or break the global positioning of the products across globe. Brand creation and advertising are very important part of market strategy. While ‘brand building is needed because products are the same’ (Kotler, 2005), advertising creates the necessary awareness amongst the segmented market to promote and influence the buying decisions of the public. Effective brand advertising therefore, facilitates good market positioning of the products and holds true for all type of companies, wishing to expand and exploit global market to gain necessary leverage. Taking cognizance of the following factors would promote global marketing campaigns of the products: Effective communication is important tool to overcome the barrier of language and socio-psychological paradigms of global community. Facilitating easy access to information brightens the scope of retaining the customers. With so much choice in the open market, one must advertise the unique advantages of the products and their usefulness to draw in new customers while keeping the old. The customer is always interested in the end result of his purchase so he needs to be shown the extra benefits that he would be getting on the purchase! Segmentation of the market as per the demographic compulsions is yet another factor that contributes towards more dominant market position vis-à  -vis common needs and concept that reaches across the race, culture, color and nationality.  

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Business Law Case Written Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Law Case Written Work - Research Paper Example Non-disclosure is the failure of volunteering important facts or information (Mallor, 2004). The law requires that the lease between Ms. Relief and Rem be in writing. This is according to the Statute of Frauds (Mallor, 2004). The fact that the agreement between Ms. Relief and Rem is for more than a one year from its formation date, it has to be in the form of writing. This clause is proper and does not impair the agreement of enforceability. As long the term of the lease has not begun, Rem can cancel the agreement and Ms. Relief will be at liberty to lease it to some other tenant. Rem would not win. The agreement between Force and Rem do not satisfy the elements required for an enforceable agreement. Force offered a promise in return for nothing from Rem thus rendering his promise gratuitous (Mallor, 2004). Rem would not win. This is because Rem had enforced the Cancellation clause of the lease document which provided for cancellation without penalties thus giving Ms. Relief the freedom to accept an offer from another

Saturday, August 10, 2019

You Decide Activity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

You Decide Activity - Assignment Example This would be effectively done by increasing lending rates to commercial banks. This will in turn serve to reduce the money supply in the public. Once people have money, they can invest moderately and in addition create job opportunities. In addition, the governments should also sell treasury bills in order to decrease money supply in the economy. Another very effective monetary policy is use of the credit multiplier (Taylor, 2007). When the reserve ratio is increased, there will be less availability of money for credit hence the supply of money will be under control. Adjusting rates of interest is of great significance in controlling an increase in the gross domestic product of the economy. Inflation significantly devalues a country’s currency because goods will be highly priced. The problem of inflation can be avoided by stabilizing the dollar. Taxation is also an alternative approach to controlling inflation (Carbaugh, 2011). If the money supply is very high in the economy, taxation should be increased to control the supply of money in the market. Increased market operation is another that will control the supply of money hence assisting the country regain an economic balance (Taylor, 2007). At times controlled economic recessions are good as they cure the problem of inflation. One measure that would help completely deal with the current economic problem would be to stimulate the economy especially through lower tax rates. Producers will be motivated to produce more and as a result restore the economy. In addition, the government should try to increase its public expenditure without at first considering the budget deficit. Commercial banks should be motivated to create more funds for

Friday, August 9, 2019

2008 Economic Crisis in the U.S. and media connection Assignment

2008 Economic Crisis in the U.S. and media connection - Assignment Example While millions of people have spent their lives adhering to this American dream, there have been periods throughout our history where tireless amounts of work and sacrifice have not been able to stop the economy of this nation from crashing down upon the very people who work endlessly to build it. Nearly five years ago, 2008 was no exception as the core of the American economy crumbled beneath the people of this nation who were standing upon it to bolster their careers, their lives and their homes. As this recession immediately spurred talk of the next Great Depression, the American people as well as the rest of the world watched in varying states of horror as the media depicted an economic downfall which the country was not prepared for. The purpose of this paper is to establish that the America people give the media almost an absolute power in determining what we believe, see, think and feel about the world around us. In order to demonstrate the proposed goal of this literary work, the following pages will first define the â€Å"economic crisis† the country faced and then will break into discussions on how the media covered the events which unfolded in the midst of such a crisis at both a national and international level. Economic Crisis Upon its arrival, the 2008 economic crisis left families decimated and crippled the financial outlook of this nation. As soon as the reality of what was happening became apparent, the media became fixated with determining a cause and definition for this crisis. Initially after the crisis, news media turned to the experts and featured a high number of guest experts who could immediately pinpoint causes of the economic situation. One such example comes from the Accuracy in Media group with a guest column from financial expert James Davis. According to Davis, an international bank analyst, the complete downfall which caused the 2008 financial crisis was caused by faulty bank lenders (2008). From a media perspective, using these analysts in such a heavy rotation placed incredible emphasis on their words to the public. Essentially, whatever reasoning these analysts were giving were becoming the scapegoats of the financial crisis with heavy rotation of media coverage. In 2011, the New York Times was able to compile and pinpoint key causes of this economic crisis. According to the article, the economic crisis can be defined as the combination of â€Å"widespread failures in government regulation, corporate mismanagement and heedless risk-taking by Wall Street,† (Chan, 2011). In addition to these components, the New York Times also highlights that the key parts of these economic failures included a factor of American life which affected nearly all people in the country – the real estate market. As Chan wrote, the economic crisis can be defined as a â€Å"calamitous concoction – shoddy mortgage lending, excessive packaging and sale of loans to investors and risky bets on securities b acked by the loans† (2011). With the gravity of the situation recognized by news organizations, the chain of events was quickly dubbed an â€Å"economic crisis† as the amount of families standing to lose their homes was staggering. According to Baily, Litan and Johnson in â€Å"The Origins of he Financial Crisis,† the issues which were at the center of the economic crisis included faulty lending practices in the form of adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) and allowing homebuyers to purchase homes with no money down, substandard financial portfolios and credit default swaps (2008). As the housing market buckled in the wake this crisis, financial panic spread through America with