Expansionism and Continuation of Past Us Expansionism

Between the years 1860 and 1877 a revolution was brought on in the United States due to constitutional and social developments. Significant constitutional developments such as secession in 1860 and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 play an important role in the road to revolution. Social developments play a smaller role in this revolution. Freed slaves are the root of social developments such as the Black Codes, the Freedman’s Bureau, and the Ku Klux Klan. Politics and states’ rights, black suffrage, and civil rights issues all combine to create a revolution. However, while certain constitutional developments during this time period have proven to be revolutionary, the social developments of this era have proven to be exactly the opposite. Document A shows the first colossal step of secession, that being the South Carolina Declaration of Causes of Secession. In 1860, South Carolina is the first state that secedes from the Union. This is a vital constitutional development because after South Carolina secedes, other states begin to follow and secede from the Union as well. Document A discusses delegated powers and how powers not delegated to the US government are reserved for the people to handle, which is what the South strongly believes in. The Northern Unionists, on the other hand, believes to strengthen the federal government, which is shown in Document B. Senator John Sherman, a Northerner, describes states’ rights as a lack of nationality and how it is the reason the United States government is being overthrown. Unionists claim that the strong principles of states’ rights ruin the Union and will lead to financial and political ruin in the future. Sherman is advocating the restoration of the National Bank by saying that Americans should depend on the United States for currency and trade. Northern Unionists want a stronger central government and after the Civil War they get what they want. The end result of the Civil War is that the central government has the most power it has ever had up to this point in history. While the social developments during this era are not necessarily revolutionary, these developments have helped shape America to what it is today. Black suffrage is an important social development that helps change American society. Document D represents the different opinions of moderate and radical republicans on the issue of slavery. Moderate republican, Gideon Welles argues that slavery should be set aside instead of abolished. An important request that Blacks have after they are freed is that they should be given the right to vote. Document C is a petition from African American citizens to the Union convention of Tennessee, in this petition former slaves are sternly stating that they helped fight for the Union army and therefore, they deserve the right to vote. If former rebellious Southerners are allowed to vote, then African Americans should be given the right to vote as well. Document C especially shows that Blacks don’t have any rights during Johnson’s Reconstruction era. White supremacists, or the Ku Klux Klan, believe strongly that African Americans should not vote and they will go to radical extremes to prevent them from voting. Document I symbolizes the cruelty of the Ku Klux Klan by showing two white supremacists shaking hands over a crest with two Black people cringing in pain. This image not only represents the cruelty of the KKK, but also how social developments are not revolutionary. When the Northern military left the South, this allowed for the Redeemer governments to rise to power. These Redeemer governments were catastrophic and only proved that the New South was, in fact, worse than the former South before secession. Since this New South is found to be atrocious, in no way is it revolutionary. Other social developments, such as the Freedmen’s Bureau, play a small part in the change of American society, which is technically a small revolution in itself. The Freedmen’s Bureau is designed to help Blacks and poor whites with food, shelter, and education (Document E). However, as stated in Document E, the Freedmen’s Bureau was going to give Homesteads to the freed slaves, but the government kept none of its promises. Freed African Americans demand the right for land and they find it unfair that once again Southerners, former traitors to the Union, are handed land when they do not rightly deserve it. Rather the African Americans deserve the land because they were loyal to the Union in the Union’s time of need. African Americans are speaking out more, which is a positive development because these demands are what eventually will get them their rights. Senator Lot Morrill describes the Civil Rights Act of 1866 as absolutely revolutionary (Document F). Senator Lot Morrill, a Unionist, is responsible for the Morrill Tariff Act. This act is designed to raise tariffs to provide land to states for education. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 is not only an important constitutional development, but also a social development. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are all beneficial constitutional developments because hese amendments show that the federal government has more power than state governments. The Civil Rights Act considers African Americans as citizens. From the time of South Carolina’s seceding in 1860 to the final withdrawal of Union troops from the South in 1877, the nation of America was filled with revolutions. There was constant development in this time both socially and constitutionally. It was a result of these developments that the Revolutions of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Redeemers would take place.

“Kindred” by Octavia Butler -Analysis Essay

There are various connections that can be made between the characters within the novel â€Å"Kindred† written by Octavia Butler. The majority of these connections relate to four of the course themes we’ve visited in past few weeks: double consciousness, collective trauma, diaspora, and power relationships. The protagonist, Dana Franklin, traveled between the past and present and in her travels she met a variety of different people, including the enslaved African Americans and their White owners of the 19th century, as well as her ancestors, one in particular is the cause of her time travel. Alice Greenwood and Rufus Weylin both had a peculiar relationship with Dana, as well as with each other. The ties that Dana shared with Alice exemplified the themes of double consciousness and collective trauma, and the ties shared between Dana and Rufus demonstrated the themes of diaspora and power relationships. Alice and Dana had a sisterly relationship, as some of the other characters had commented, Sarah once told Dana after Alice’s passing, â€Å"You and her was like sisters†¦ You sure fought like sisters, always fussin’ at each other, stompin’ away from each other, comin’ back.† Although a brief description, this is a very accurate summary of their relationship. Their double consciousness was first realized when Rufus had pointed out that they were both â€Å"one and the same†, this meaning that they were two halves of the same person. Not only did they look alike, but the line between their roles in the Weylin household were heavily blurred. Alice was the â€Å"love† interest of Rufus while she was alive, although her only use to him was to either sexually abuse her or use her as his personal punching bag. She had once told Dana that whenever she’s around, the mental and physical abuse isn’t as bad as it regularly is. On the other hand, Dana has an immense amount of freedom in comparison to Alice, even to the other slaves. Due to the unspoken set of rules that Dana and Rufus share, he doesn’t try to pursue any sexual relationship with her until the end of the book. As Dana had once said, â€Å"I could accept him as my ancestor, younger brother, friend, but not as my master, and not as my lover.† Alice is openly  spiteful towards Dana because of this, but it is also obvious that the reason why she always comes back to Dana is because, like a sibling, she is used as an outlet for her pain, fear, and hate, and knowing that she could have done more to lesson Alice’s suffering, Dana allows puts her feelings aside and accepts the onslaught of abuse. Both of their relationships with Rufus also lead to their collective trauma as they are both abused by him, and, in different ways, he takes something from them that leave them unwhole. For Alice, he not only rips her freedom from out under her, but he also â€Å"sells† their children, which were the only reasons that she had stayed on the plantation for so long. For Dana, he too took her freedom and the power that she once held over him had vanished completely, but it’s possible that he is also the reason that she there was a short stump in the place of her arm. The relationship that was shared between Dana and Rufus was the most complex relationship of them all. A list of unspoken rules shared between the two had been the foundation of their relationship, as they had both known that one could not live without the other, that if either one of them died, the other is just as good as dead as well. Ever since Dana had first saved Rufus from drowning in the river, she had attempted to instill some morals into the young boy in hopes that he wouldn’t be as corrupt as his father or the other slave owners, as she knew that that was what he would soon become. Although, with each time that she returns to save the boy’s life, he grows older, and he becomes more mature as well as stubborn, not as easily goaded into doing nice things for the slaves, like setting most of them free, or not selling any of them as his father does. Eventually, the reigns of power are no longer held by Dana, and the influence of the 19th century has finally rubbe d off on Rufus for the worse. No longer small and feeble, Rufus has Dana sent to work in the fields, has her whipped, hits her multiple times, and eventually held the barrel of a rifle to her head, though the line is completely crossed when Rufus tries to have sex with Dana, which she responds to with the thrust of a sharp blade in his side. Twice. The scale of power begins tipped towards Dana, then towards Rufus, then for another brief moment back to Dana. Their relationship is also, in a way, diasporic, as Dana is constantly out of  place in the 19th century throughout the entire book. She brings back with her the knowledge of the future, though sparse, as well as new medicines, devices, and ideas, though because of her skin color she is seen as no more than either a â€Å"smart nigger† to the white folks and a â€Å"white nigger† to the blacks; nothing more than a nigger. Even though she wasn’t accepted by most of the other slaves and the whites who held power over her, Rufus, still needed her in many different ways and was very clingy at times, even as he gave his last long and shuddering sigh, he simply could not let go of Dana, both literally and physically, as his hand still grasped her arm in the afterlife. When Dana arrives from the past for the last time, she discovers -excruciatingly painfully- that her arm had somehow meshed and conjoined with the wall of her living room. The exact spot where Rufus had held her in his final moments marked the loss of her arm, â€Å"from the elbow to the ends of the fingers,† It is unknown whether or not Dana’s arm is left in the past, still held between the cold fingers of the dead, as Rufus’ body was believed to be burned to ashes and never found, along with the Weylin estate. Dana’s graphic physical loss shows what slavery truly is outside of popular novels, history books, and dramatized television where the actors practice the pain and suffering that their ancestors dealt with. The loss of her arm shows many different things, like how even though African Americans today have been removed from slavery over time, who they are today was planted and rooted in the past. Also, slaves had constantly suffered from both emotion al and physical abuse at the hands of their owners, yet they were extremely dependent of their owners. Dana is subjected to horrific pain at the hand of Rufus, yet she still feels pity for him when he comes crawling back to her, as he is both her master and her kin-dred, so she alternates between despising him and feeling empathetic towards him. Lastly, Dana’s severed arm is a horrible loss, and it is meant to capture the horror of slavery. It is also significant that she suffers her injury because Rufus hangs on to her. Like Rufus holding onto Dana, the past has a â€Å"hold† on the present, the sacrifices of the past shape the present today. Dana loses an arm which is an important body part, especially for a writer, although she escapes with her life. The slaves of the past had sacrificed skin, bone, and sanity, yet  a lot of them escaped, albeit scarred. Dana’s horrific injury makes all of the sacrifices slaves made painfully real in order to make lives better for generations to come. Part of her lies in the past, and so does part of todays’ generation. In conclusion, the strange relationships that Dana had formed with her ancestors, Alice and Rufus, had in some ways, led to the loss of her arm. Her entire existence was dependent on the two of them having her great grandmother Hagar, and although Alice may have survived without Dana’s influence, Rufus was definitely dependent on Dana as well. Octavia Butler had wanted readers to take with them the reality of how we ar e still deeply rooted within slavery and it still has an affect on us today, even though it had ended over 140 years ago. As Dana had witnessed first hand, slavery has never been a free occurrence, anyone who was apart of it in any way never came out of it as they once were before; they never escaped slavery whole again, but as less of the person than they were before.

The Evolving State of Healthcare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Evolving State of Healthcare - Research Paper Example pent more on health care that any other nation, despite the enormous expense of health care, the universal standards of health such as life expectation and infant mortality are not as elevated as those of different nations (Simon, 2010). Nevertheless, things have changed since the Obama administration took over power. National health insurance plan administered by the federal government as a substitute to the private health insurance is due to be proposed by President Obama. In essence, the congressional leaders argue that by reducing the cost of healthcare, universal health insurance plan will actual reduce the national arrears. Health care crisis in America is marked by three dimensional challenges; one is the escalating costs of health care, the restricted access to care and its threat to retirement security (Simon, 2010). First, the escalation of the health care caused by quick change from the usual reimbursement system to a capitation system which is more of cost sharing than the insurance having to cater for all medical bills to the extent of forcing doctor to attend on patient partially hence not genuine medical cover. Second, is that not most people are able to access to care because they are not well up. This means that preventive care is basically non existence to them and they can only attend to medical care when critically ill and require urgent and pricey treatment. (Simon, 2010). Third, is the growing cost of the health care as compared to the incomes of those who pay for it. This makes the standards of living and economic security of those people who retire at more risk. Universal healthcare coverage is being considered by a number of nations so as to ensure that all people are placed into one medical consideration. This kind of health care will ensure that people will no longer be oppressed by the privatized healthcare systems which are inefficient, costly and at times

Pfizers Unsuccessful Takeover of Astrazeneca Essay - 5

Pfizers Unsuccessful Takeover of Astrazeneca - Essay Example On 25th November 2013, Pfizer, a US company expressed its interest to enter into a merger with AstraZeneca. This is a crucial stage of initiating a merger, where the interested party expresses for the first time the consideration for a merger. The second stage of the merger is the high-level discussion in which the two parties sit down and discuss in detail the path they are going to follow in the merger. At this point, the interested company proposes its offer to which the other party may accept or reject. On 5th January 2015, the two companies held high-level talks in which Pfizer offered $58 per share (Farrell, 2014). After considering the offer, the AstraZeneca rejected the offer and the no more discussion was held after January. The step of Pfizer to go public on its interest to merge with AstraZeneca in April 2014 is an important stage of the merger. The main purpose of this stage is to draw the public assessment into the merger and consider the logistics behind its association . At this point, other multinational companies have the opportunity to consider the offer evaluate and criticize it. The national government also is called at this point to intervene in merger and to consider whether the offer is to the public’s interest. From this point, the leader of the company engages the parliament before the science and technology committee to further negotiate on the offer. Later on, the company offers a higher bid and promises to give $69 per year and to absorb about 20% of the researchers for at least five years (Farrell, 2014). At this stage, AstraZeneca has an opportunity to reconsider how this offer would affect their business. The CEO of the company needs to obtain information on how the merger would benefit its company and how his management would achieve their goals. The fact that the company rejects the offer at this stage shows that the company is bound to  lose from the bond.

Advance Management accounting and performance management Essay - 1

Advance Management accounting and performance management - Essay Example Besides, initiating a fitness club is a fun and financially paying business that assists people get and remain strong, healthy and fit. Owning such a business enables an individual own an artistic and resourceful business in a recession-resistant field. This business entails providing fitness services, which include individual training services, and BFIT rehab, which refers to a physical rehabilitation service. The club will also sell a range of nutritional, fitness and health products. These include the company’s own BFIT nutritionals at its stores that will be exclusive in the center (Curtis, 2003). The facilities that must be present at Rollin Fitness Center include cardio training equipments like 50Kg Barbell Dumbbell set, magnum fitness flat and auto incline treadmill; strength equipments like BNRG Proto Whey 5Lbs, power rack and smith machine and bench package. Most gyms in Europe especially in UK charge  £500 to  £700 a month but to increase competitiveness, Rollin Fitness Center should charge  £450 to  £500 a month. Just as mentioned, the company intends to increase its competitive advantage and popularity by charging slightly lower than the normal costs for most gyms in UK. Therefore, Rollin Fitness will be charging  £450 -  £500 in order to attain several clients and be competitive in the market field. However, some clients do not wish to be at the gym on a daily basis meaning that they cannot pay full monthly cost (Kirk, 2000). Therefore, the company needs to come up with weekly charges as well as daily charges, which should be done according to hours spent in the gym. It is very difficult to come up with per unit cost for a fitness club since the center offers more of service than goods (Jeff, 2004). The best way to go about it is through coming up with an hourly cost statement for any person who visits the center for fitness services. Now that monthly cost is like  £500, weekly cost will be; Now, to determine

The Main Character-Cum-Hero in the Platoon Film Assignment

The Main Character-Cum-Hero in the Platoon Film - Assignment Example The Platoon film by Oliver Stone is a 1986 production. It is an American war film featuring Chris Taylor who is a young American college dropout going to fight in Vietnam. On his arrival to Vietnam, he finds his presence as insignificant in comparison to the other soldiers who are much experienced in battle than him. He has his own team that soon finds itself fighting both the enemy in Vietnam and the men in his own platoon. The Unforgiven film begins by introducing the cause of the conflict that the movie bases it happenings on. There are words crawling across the screen, describing the life of a woman who got married to a murderer. One of the cowboys, Davey Bunting, is in one of the rooms at the brothels with a prostitute, Alice when from another room arises some commotion. It is in Delilah’s room (another prostitute), who was with Mike, a cowboy. Mike and Delilah are fighting, with Delilah throwing things at Mike as he advances towards her with a knife that he uses to cut u p her face. The Platoon film similarly introduces its subject basis right from the start. The main character, Chris, arrives in Vietnam and is at the introduction to the generals controlling the war. As this is happening, Chris catches a glimpse of rows of soldiers’ bodies awaiting shipment back to the United States. He also sees weary soldiers who have finished their terms in Vietnam awaiting transportation back home. He later learns that the ‘older’ soldiers do not associate well with the newcomers. Chris regrets volunteering.

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Research Paper Example In 2007, Singapore was able to generate $9.4 billion USD in tourism revenue which makes up three percent of the country’s entire gross domestic product (Research and Markets 1). This growth in tourism is sparked by the development of the National Tourist Offices operated by the government, with a variety of strategic alliances with such companies as the airline Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines (Riege and Perry 1294). It was only recently that the government recognized that casino gaming could represent a significant marketing opportunity to boost more international interest in tourism. There has been significant social disparity occurring in Indonesia about the viability and economic benefits of casino gambling which has, until just recently, prevented development of casinos as part of a new tourism philosophy. In 2011, petitioners asked the Singaporean Constitutional Court to declare certain provisions and regulations to be held unconstitutional that had, previously, pro hibited gambling in any form in the country. At the same time, government has been attempting to elicit foreign investment from major hospitality companies to develop and launch casino gambling as a means of improving its competitive marketing position internationally. This conflict stems from concern over the many low-wage citizens in the country, believing that casino gambling would detract from their quality of living. However, despite these concerns, the government and the court systems have relaxed the many strict regulations prohibiting gaming in this fashion, thereby allowing development of the first casino gambling facility in 2012 in the city of Bintan. The only major player in the gaming operations in Singapore is Malaysia-based Landmarks Bhd., an investment holding company operating a diverse portfolio of hospitality businesses internationally. The Las Vegas Sands, one of Landmarks’ largest shareholders, has been integral in petitioning the Singaporean government t o allow development and relax regulatory pressures denying such construction. Upon development of the Landmarks’ gaming project, it is expected that total revenues stemming from gaming will increase 16 percent to $30.3 billion (Hin 2). The social impact of gaming in Singapore is substantial. There is evidence that low-income citizens in the country maintain social characteristics that will ultimately lead to gambling addictions. Some have even turned to criminal behaviors as a means of sustaining this addiction, which has concerned many Singaporean citizens (Global Voices 2). These social concerns have, and still continue to, conflict the process of rapid gaming development in this growing country with much more economic influence today than in previous years. As previously identified, there are conflicting laws associated with casino gambling in this country. The Constitution clearly prohibits gambling in any format in the country, however representatives of the government c ontinue to amend the Constitution and create new, regionally-based policies that seek to overturn these prohibitions. However, such amendments require intervention with voting citizens both regionally and nationally-wide, again conflicting the process of securing long-term contracts and agreements for casino development and other associated hospitality organizations devoted to promoting tourism and economic growth. The Singapore conflicts associated with disparate laws and regulations illustrates a marked difference from

I'll attach it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

I'll attach it - Essay Example The site also offers its visitors the option of a search for specific spams they might want to know and learn about. E-mail scams are unsolicited emails which claim the idea of a bargain or an offer for nothing. Email scams can invite unknowing victims to websites that contain detailed pitch too. Email-scams may take the form of urban legends or identity theft. Urban legend refer to stories that are either funny and/or contain horrifying content that may or may not be true. Such stories spread quickly and come in various forms (Scambusters). Often, email urban legends usually ask their recipients to forward the email to everyone they know. This, in fact, is one of the signs to know that is a false urban legend in one’s email ox. Scambusters.org through their subscription makes individuals aware of such urban legends. Scambusters.org through their urban legends and hoaxes resource centers makes one aware on whether such popular emails are true. Scambusters.org even provides a list and example of popular email hoaxes and urban legends. Scambusters.org notes identity theft as the fastest growi ng crime. Identity theft has taken the first position in Scambusters.org list of the worst internet scams. The site offers articles to prevent and recover from identity theft. Scambusters.org encourages people to get educated, be cautious, be secure, be vigilant and get help as the five keys to avoiding internet scam. Individuals should learn from available online resources on current risks. Individuals should be cautious when giving personal data online, and to whom they are giving it to. People should also regularly update their security software on their personal computers. Individuals should be vigilant by keenly monitoring what happens to their account by closely looking at online and paper statements. Individuals can also seek for professional help in regard to latest

U.S History Review Essay Example for Free

U.S History Review Essay It is important to study the history of the U. S because it helps us to learn about the people of America and even about American societies. It also helps us understand how these people or the societies usually behave. This is because history tends to base evidence on analyzing and contemplating about how societies function not only nowadays, but from the past. Examining the history of the U. S can help us understand the changes of the society from the very past up to the state they are in today (Crabtree, 1993). Further, studying U. S history can make us understand Americas’ political progress from the past to date. We thus can be informed on the shape of the politics in the past and the major developments. Moreover we can even look into the factors that caused changes in the various American political parties. Conversely, historical analyses of voter turnout in key American elections and the associated evolution can make us understand some of the problems American people face today. This can also enable us to understand the present political health of the U. S (Steele, 2009). Moreover, we can understand economic changes in America and factors or policies that the government used to see their economy rising. This information can also help any other nation to improve their economy (Crabtree, 1993). Conversely, the cultural values of the American people can be understood by studying the history of U. S. We can understand the issues of the past by having a look at how people used to live in the past ages which serve as a sense of excitement and beauty (Steele, 2009). Studying the history of America can make one grow psychologically. This can broaden one’s mind besides making somebody to understand how they can solve problems as they come using facts that were used by philosophers in the past (The Manhattan Institute). References Crabtree, D. (1993). The Importance of History. Retrieved 8th June 2010, from http://www. mckenziestudycenter. org/society/articles/history. html Steele, D. D. (2009). The Importance of Local History. Charleston, SC: BiblioBazaar, LLC. The Manhattan Institute. Why Study War? Victor Davis Hanson, City Journal Summer 2007. Retrieved 8th June 2010, http://www. city-journal. org/html/17_3_military_history. html

Decision Making Essay Example for Free

Decision Making Essay 1.What issues would you take into account? The stakeholders welfare, responsibility towards the society (in this case it can be identified as United States or as broad as the global inhabitants) which includes environmental issues, and also the ethics. For sure one more important issue is profitability or survivability of the firm. All of the issues mentioned earlier may be thought of as means for ensuring the long-run success of the company. 2.What major sources of uncertainty do you face? The major sources of uncertainty include research and development, and market analysis. â€Å"Will the substitute product work and would it be working the same?† â€Å"Is the ozone problem really directly related to Chlorofluorocarbons, or a normal cycle has actually caused these observed recent changes?† Finally, â€Å"could Du Pont’s efforts really have an effect, and how much?† â€Å"Is this effect going to bring any profit for the company?† and as a market analysis viewpoint, â€Å"will the market and society accept them?† 3.What corporate objectives would be important for you to consider? Do you think that DuPont’s objectives and the way the company views the problem might have evolved since the mid-70s when CFCs were just beginning to become an issue? DuPont’s views of the situation Of course have changed over time. Early on, the chlorofluorocarbon issue was basically ignored. DuPont was the largest CFC producer in the world with a 25% market share in the 1980s.This product was a less hazardous alternative to the sulfur dioxide and ammonia and was widely used as refrigerants in refrigeration, ACs, and medical inhalers for asthma patients. In March 15, 1988 NASA announced that CFCs were not only creating a hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica, but also thinning the layer elsewhere in the world. After NASA announcement, DuPont announced that it would begin to phase out the CFCs. It invested more than $500 million in this case and commercialized a family of refrigerants with zero or lower ozone depletion effects in January 1991 for the first time.

The poor in the UK

The poor in the UK Discuss whether the poor in the UK are to blame for their poverty and social exclusion? The purpose of this essay is to discuss the question of whether the poor in the UK are to blame for their poverty and social exclusion. In order to do this, a variety of perspectives will be analysed, in particular looking at political and economic perspectives. We will also consider Levitas approaches in the area of social exclusion, looking at the three models of social discourse, and also a critical examination of Murrays thesis concerning the underclass. Definitions of poverty have traditionally been divided within two subcategories, absolute poverty or relative poverty. Each definition is based on different experiences of poverty. Absolute poverty sees there is a basic need for survival and this is measured objectively and comes in forms of statistics. This is mainly used in government statistics. Relative poverty is different in that it counts on an opinion of people in society. Relative poverty uses the idea of what society or a culture sees as the norm. The earliest attempt to research poverty was by Rowntree, who conducted a study in York, in 1899. Rowntree adopted the measurement of absolute poverty in 1901 based on a minimum weekly income which was thought to be needed to survive. Therefore, a definition of absolute poverty is; Absolute poverty occurs when people fail to receive sufficient resources to support a minimum of physical health and efficiency (2006 dictionary of sociology) p304 This absolute measure was not popular with the government as measuring poverty based on falling below a certain benefit level. When the benefits level increased so did the amount of people living in poverty. This problem was solved when the 1985 conservative government scrapped the Family Low Income Statistics in favour of the Household below Average Income (HBAI). This saw the decrease of poverty in terms of figures because of the change in the way poverty was measured. The term poverty is not mentioned in any of these official government terms, therefore shows that poverty is not acknowledge as a problem to the government. The feminist argument on using this type of measurement is that it uses statistics taken from the household with a male breadwinner. Females appear invisible in these statistics and very much implies that women are dependent upon men. However, there is no suggestion that the male breadwinner equally shares his income with the household. Scott (1994) discusses the strengths and weaknesses of absolute poverty. Firstly the strengths, the measurement of absolute poverty can be used universally across cultures and societies. It can be used to draw up comparisons so Policy makers can use this to assess and distribute the income that is needed to eliminate poverty. These policies can then be taken on by researchers to look at if what is being done and if it is helping to reduce poverty. A Weakness of this measurement is that it is extreme. In todays society it is dominated by consumption and a consumer lifestyle. Some cultures deem it necessary to be able to take part in the consumer society. The goods that can be bought often have several uses other than just to survive, for example a television is not an item of survival, however to function in society the television plays a major part and a sense of unity is formed in neighbourhoods if people can relate to and discuss items featured on television. The absolute measure ignores this social process as it cannot be scientifically measured as it involves some form of opinion. Poverty measurements need much more than just relying on saying how much money is needed to live. Relative poverty can be defined as, comprehensive, should depend as much as possible on independent or external criteria of evaluation, should involve the ordering of a mass of factual data rational, orderly and informative fashion, and should limit, through not conceal, the part played by the value judgement (Townsend 1979:33) This means that it can be measured statistically; however include some form of judgement. This relative measurement would include more than just income and look at consumer society and culture. Townsends, who states individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the type of diet, participation in the activities and they have the living conditions and the amenities which are customary, or at least widely encouraged or approved in the societies to which they belong. (Townsend, 1979, p.31) This definition covers adequately the link between poverty and social exclusion. Townsends research of relative poverty conducted in 1968-9 could compare people based on the national average. An important result to come out of this research was the deprivation index which stated the 12 items essential for people in society, for example clothing, diet, fuel health and education. In 1985 more items were included such as a persons taste, lifestyle, and economic social factors. Using the measurement of relative poverty does come with strengths and weaknesses. It does acknowledge subjectively and are honest in that some form of opinion is needed. Knowledge of peoples culture can be explored in terms of what their standard of living is. It explores the kinds of feeling some people have that they may be deprived more than others. Weaknesses of this relative measurement is that if fails to acknowledge those people who chose to go without the items stated in the deprivation index. It does not address the issues of real poverty in that those living in absolute poverty do not having enough to survive. Comparisons with other countries are difficult as others still use the absolute measurement and use statistics rather than opinions. Piachaud reviews Townsends deprivation index as a good measurement as it included people that make the lifestyle choices such as being a vegetarian. He claims that not having a fridge for instance is more significant than not having meat. However, this suggests that Townsends index is not as scientific as it claims. (Piachaud 1981) There is not only one kind of poor people but many that are or could fall into poverty at any point in their life. The underclass is a term used to stigmatise people and was used in the 1980s early 1990s. Charles Murray worked on the concept of the underclass and characterised them by three things; illegitimacy, violent crime, and drop out from the labour market by young men (Murray 1990) Murray wrote in 1990 that Britain has a growing population of working-aged, healthy people who live in a different world from other Britons, who are raising their children to live in it, and whose values are now contaminating the life of entire neighbourhoods. (Murray, 1990, p.6) Murray spoke of those who chose not to work, and instead to rely on benefits as a means of survival, as opposed to joining the labour market. In Murrays view, this reliance on benefits was considered as a superior option, not as a last resort. A statement by Murray to describe the underclass using a very simple and stigmatising definition by underclass, I do not mean people who are merely poor, but people at the margins of society, unsocialised and often violent. (Murray 2001). The term Underclass is a way of stigmatising a group and that Margaret Thatcher denied there being absolute poverty as there was no official government definition. Deprivation irresponsible underclass. John Moore secretary state of social security relative poverty was simply another term for inequality he claimed that poverty had disappeared from Britain altogether. (John Moore 1989) Conservative government at the time used the term underclass to categorise and deny there was absolute poverty in Britain. This view of the underclass supports the idea that the poor are to blame for their poverty and inequality than those structural inequalities at the time. With this negative concept the conservatives were set to cut welfare if the underclass did not change their ways. This widened the poverty gap and the conservatives were thought to be irresponsible and didnt address the problem of poverty in society Rather than seeing inequality as potentially damaging to the social fabric, the Thatcher governments saw it as an engine of enterprise, providing incentives for those at the bottom as well as those at the top. (Walker 1997:5) This phenomenon of the underclass tries to address them as and actual class in society being at the other end of the scale such as the upper-class. However, to be compared with as a class it would suggest there are shared values that are unique to the underclass, there are no evidence of this and should not be a class. (Bagguley and Mann 1992). This underclass perspective draws attention away from the actual cause of poverty and tries to set the notion that this class is biological when there is no evidence. Field 1989 viewed the underclass from a structuralist view and supported the view that the underclass did not stem from the individual, but from the ideologies that maintained and shaped inequality. These structural causes were stated as; record post war unemployment, widening class difference, exclusion of rapid widening living standards and public attitudes falling in Thatcher Britain. Direct criticism of Murrays underclass is that it fails to be proven by scientific methods and relies on opinions. The underclass cannot be measured accurately as the group is sometimes made to look huge or small depending on the outcome needed. The underclass perspective can be misleading and not address the real problem that poverty is causing to Britain. (Walker 1990:49) However, many writers were critical of this view, including MacDonald, who asserts that both young people and adults wanted work. They would fail with flying colours the test Murray sets to prove the underclasss existence: offer them jobs at a generous wage for unskilled labour and see what happens. (MacDonald, 1997, p.195) Crompton has been even more dismissal in her criticism of Murrays view, in that much of Murrays caselay in his attempts to demonstrate the individual moral and cultural inferiority of the least well-off members of society. In some ways then, Murrays underclass thesis, can be seen to be elitist and dismissive of those at the bottom end of the social ladder. Byrne (Byrne, 2005, p.1) notes the pejorative nature of the term underclass and the much preferred and more commonly used in the UK term of social exclusion. The term social exclusion was coined in the 1970s following research by French Civil servant, Rene Lenoir, who published The Excluded, which said that as much as 10% of the French population were excluded from mainstream society due to factors like mental illness, poverty and disability (Beland 2007). This definition of a broad category of people who, for a variety of reasons, dont fit into the social mainstream was picked up by New Labour, which created a Social Exclusion Unit when it came to power in 1997. It was based on the idea that Social exclusion is about more than income poverty. It is what can happen when people or areas face a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, discrimination, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown (ODPM, 2004, p. 3). New labour used many terms throughout their time, stakeholder society, communitarianism, third way and social exclusion. (Hindmoor, 2005). They can be accused of only selecting terms that would win elections (Stoker, 2004). The Labour government blamed three main causes for social exclusion: the dislocation caused by the breakdown of industry in Britain in the 1980s, the Conservative indifference to the social consequences of these economic changes and the failure of the welfare system to effectively address the needs of those who were affected by the downfall of coal, steel and other heavy industries (Davies, 2007). Storrey and Childs have commented on the political agenda of the early 1990s, whereby arguments came to a head over Britains high proportion of single-parent families when a government minister claimed that an over-generous state benefit system was encouraging young, single mothers to marry the state and embark on a benefit career. (Storrey Childs, 2002, p.126. These arguments were soon rebutted by organisations such as the Association of Single Parents, but it highlighted the way that discussions on social exclusion and poverty can be seen from a purely political perspective. Of the three models of social discourse to be discussed later, the MUD discourse is seen as largely right wing, while the other two are more centrist or to the left. One recent government minister has emphasised the SID view, claiming that Work is the only way out of poverty the benefit system will never pay of itself (enough to lift people out of poverty) and I dont think it should (Alcock et al., 2008, p.335 ) Social exclusion is seen in the growth of homelessness or urban slums, the declining hopes of the long-term unemployed, the lack of access to jobs and incomes of migrants and some ethnic minorities, the increasingly precarious nature of jobs on offer to new labour market entrants. (Rodgers 1995:43) Ruth Levitas, in her 1998 book, The Inclusive Society: Social Exclusion and New Labour, suggested three models of discourse in terms of how we look at the issue of social exclusion, and how those models are applied in politics in particular to economic and social policy, as well as sociological discourse in general. (Levitas, 1998) RED. This is known as the Redistributionists Discourse. Pierson (2004) observes that those holding this view argue that only through the redistribution of wealth across society as a whole, through taxation, benefits and services, will poverty and inequality be eradicated in Britain. (Pierson, 2004, p.5). This model rejects the idea that attitudes towards work or moral issues are responsible for social exclusion. Some have noted that a vital component in the RED model of social exclusion discourse is the raising of benefits to an adequate standard as one means of eradicating poverty. (Gordon Townsend, 2000, p.359) This model is significantly different from the Moral/Underclass Discourse (MUD) SID. This is known as the Social Integrationist Discourse. This model focuses on the value of importance of work. Paid work is seen as a key factor, with entrance into the labour market as the result, providing income, a boost to the economy, and social inclusion by way of paid employment. Levitas argues that this view differs from RED discourse in that it tends to equate social exclusion with exclusion from the labour market. (Levitas 1998, Pierson, 2004, p.6) MUD. This is known as the Moral/Underclass Discourse. The fundamental argument of the MUD discourse is that individuals or groups, through choices of their own choose a method of social exclusion. Such a method may be a deliberate choice not to try to enter the labour market but instead to rely on benefits solely as a means of income. Gordon Townsend comment that MUD tends to replay recurrent themes about dangerous classesto focus on the consequences of social exclusion for social order, and to emphasise particular groups, such as unemployed and potentially criminal young men, and lone parents, especially young never-married mothers. (Gordon Townsend, 2004, p.360) We see therefore, three discourses with different answers to the question of whether the poor in the UK are to blame for their poverty and social exclusion. The RED discourse would point to the need to redistribute wealth to the poor in order to end their social exclusion. The SID discourse would like social exclusion and unemployment and would link employment to being the key to the end of poverty and social exclusion. The MUD approach would suggest for many poverty, or certainly social exclusion, are a choice that is made and then potentially taught to the next generation. We have examined Levitas three models or approaches to social discourse, and we have critically examined Murrays theory of the underclass in the context of the UK and of these three models. We have come to the conclusion that there are other factors to play in poverty and social exclusion than the choices of the poor in the UK or any blame that may be attached to them, and we have seen the elitist nature of Murrays thesis. Poverty about people social exclusion about structure of society The UK government defines poverty as having an income of 60 per cent or less of the median: using this measure, 13.2 million people in the UK lives in poverty that is 22 per cent of the population. (Oxfam)

Free Essay on Homers Odyssey: Odyssey as Epic Poem :: Homer Odyssey Essays

The Odyssey as Epic Poem For thousands of years, people have enjoyed the entertainment of epic poems. The "Odyssey" is an epic poem. The "Odyssey" contains characteristics of an epic poem. The setting of the ""Odyssey" is immense. The gods and goddesses of ancient Greece intervene frequently in the "Odyssey". Odysseus exemplifies a special kind of pride. Throughout the "Odyssey", Odysseus undertakes a difficult journey. . The "Odyssey" has an big setting. Odysseus starts off by traveling to Troy, which is the known world. On his quest home he comes face to face with the unknown world. Included in the unknown world is the underworld. Very few mortals had ever made it to the underworld and back safely. Odysseus travels to many different islands, and civilizations throughout the duration of the "Odyssey". Thus, creating many smaller, different settings that all fit into vast setting. The gods and goddesses constantly intervene in the "Odyssey". There are many examples of divine intervention in the "Odyssey". One of the most influential gods in the "Odyssey" is Poseidon. Poseidon causes Odysseus's journey to be so difficult. Poseidon is mad at Odysseus because of what he did to his son Polyphemus. Polyphemus asked his father to avenge him. This resulted in only Odysseus reaching Ithaca. Circe was a minor goddess who had a great influence in the "Odyssey". She helped Odysseus by giving some advice on certain matters. She told Odysseus that she must go to "the cold homes of Death and Persephone..." meaning the underworld. She also tells them of the danger which lies ahead in Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus's pride led him to make blind, rash decisions. Hubris, a Greek word, is the best way to describe Odysseus's pride. Hubris is a unique type of pride that is almost arrogance. Odysseus demonstrates this when he is leaving the island of the Cyclopes. `Cyclopes, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes' son, whose home's on Ithaca!' If Odysseus would have kept his mouth shut he may have escaped Poseidon, and all of men wouldn't have been killed.

James Dickey All American Poet Essay -- essays papers

James Dickey All American Poet James Dickey was an American Poet whose life has been very diverse, and in his poetry that diversity is shown. He has a lifestyle that most poets do not get to experience. He has lived in many states and countries. That gives me the reason to think that his poetry resembles this life’s diversity. James Lafayette Dickey, III was born in the town of Atlanta, Georgia on February 2, 1923. His parents were Maibelle and Eugene Dickey. He went to Ed S. Cook Elementary School and North Fulton High School as a kid, both of which are in Atlanta. He was athletic as a child. He played football and track, but his football career led him to a scholarship at the University of Clemson, in Clemson, South Carolina. But, before he went off to college he spent one year at the Darlington School in Rome, Georgia for one year in preparation for a college. He didn’t last longer than a year in Clemson though because he enlisted into the Army Air Corps. He served in WWII as a flight radar observer and navigator. After serving in the army he went to school at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He went there on the G. I. Bill. After graduating from Vanderbilt with a M. A. in English, he started to teach. He taught first at the Rice Institute in Houston, Texas. His time there was cut short because he was recalled to duty in Korea as flight training instructor. But as soon as he was discharged from the Corps he returned to teach again at Rice University. He taught at Rice until 1954 when he left to go to Europe on the Sewanee Review fellowship. After returning to the U.S. he joined the English Department at the University of Florida. He did not stay there long because he resigned after a dispute after he h... ...veryone else. He wakes up every day ready to crow his symbol to bring on that day. In the poem he is ready to protect all the female chickens, from another cock that could be in there house. He is ready to battle to the death for what he thinks is his. In this poem he uses ridicule, when he is talking about the old man in a terminal ward, and he also uses connotations. Some example of connotations are when he uses words like; enraged, sullenly, savagery, unappeased and terminal. The life of James Dickey was very diverse and involved many different people. His poetry showed this diversity in many ways too. He has over 2,000 poems, all of which have different genres and different places they have came from. Some of which could have been from past jobs, and others could have been from his past places of residence. That is why he was a very popular poet for his time.

Mr Nobody Essay

Mr. Nobody is a 2009 science fiction drama film. It was written and directed by Jaco Van Dormael, produced by Philippe Godeau, and starred Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Linh Dan Pham, Rhys Ifans, Natasha Little, Toby Regbo and Juno Temple. The film tells the life story of Nemo Nobody, a 118 year-old man who is the last mortal on Earth after the human race has achieved quasi-immortality. Nemo, memory fading, refers to his three main loves and to his parent’s divorce and subsequent hardships endured at three main moments in his life; him at age nine, fifteen and thirty-four. Nemo tells the story including alternate life paths, often changing course with the flick of a decision at each of those ages. The film uses nonlinear narrative and the many-worlds interpretation to tell the story of Nemo’s life. Mr. Nobody had its world premiere at the 66th Venice International Film Festival where it received the Golden Osella and the Biografilm Lancia Award. Critical response was generally strong and the film was nominated for seven Magritte Awards, winning six, including Best Film and Best Director for Van Dormael. The film was released in Belgium on January 13, 2010. Since its original release, Mr. Nobody has become a cult film, noted for its philosophy and cinematography, personal characters and Pierre Van Dormael’s soundtrack.[1][2] Plot: In the year 2092, Nemo Nobody is a 118-year-old man, the last mortal on Earth. Humanity has conquered mortality through an endless renewal of cells, and the world now watches in fascination as Mr. Nobody edges towards death. Everyone wants to know the life that he has lived. Nemo himself says that he remembers nothing about his past and a psychiatrist, Dr. Feldheim, tries to make him recall memories through hypnosis; other memories are told to a journalist. Nemo spits out contradictory pieces as he is prodded, and no one is sure what happened and what didn’t. He is less than clear, often thinking that he is only 34 years old. He tells of his life at three primary points in his life: at age nine, when his parents get divorced; at age fifteen, when he fell in love; and at age thirty-four, living his adulthood – all three unravelled into many other realities in a nonlinear narrative. At the beginning of the story it’s explained that before birth, children remember everything that will happen in their lives, but at the moment of conception, the Angels of Oblivion make them forget everything. Eventually, the Angels forget about Nemo. Now the boy first has to choose his parents. At age 9, his second choice happens when they divorce, and he has to decide with whom he will live. At a railway station, his mother leaves on a train, while his father stays. In one case he runs to reach the train and his mother manages to pull him in, in another he stays with his father. Epilogue: Before his death, Mr. Nobody tells the journalist that they both don’t exist; they are in the mind of Nemo as a boy, when he is being forced to make an impossible choice. The journalist is then seen looking out of a train window at 9 year-old Nemo as he just misses catching hold of his mother’s hand. The implication is that Nemo made use of that unknown man’s face in one of his imaginary projections into his own distant future. Back at the railway station one final time, Nemo creates a third and totally unexpected choice for himself; he abandons both parents and takes another way out of the dilemma by running away from the tracks in a perpendicular line towards an unknown future. He ends up as the adult Nemo sleeping on a bench by the lighthouse and waiting for Anna’s return. There is, eventually, an ecstatically joyful reunion between them where the two lovingly embrace. At the precise moment Mr. Nobody dies of old age, the expansion of the universe comes to a halt and time reverses itself. The imaginary 118 year-old man then cackles triumphantly as he springs back into awareness with the realization that his younger self has finally found his one true love and life.

Environmental impacts Essay

Environmental impacts of fuel utilization include critical issues such as resource and pollutant issues. The analysis on quantifying the extent should include greenhouse gas emissions and its effect to the environment. Worldwide, the demand for biofuels has been increasing dramatically. With the fast depleting fossil fuels, current initiatives to attain energy sufficiency and sustainability is being pursued with biofuels as one of the alternatives, Moreover, the utilization of alternative fuels is being proposed to address current environmental issues on global warming. Studies on biofuels, specifically bioethanol and biodiesel showed promising results in reducing GHG emissions and in turn create a positive impact on the environment. Given the increasing demand for biofuels, benefits brought about by its utilization is expected to be significant specifically on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. While there are issues on land use and energy balance for biofuels, extensive research should be conducted in order to identify the most viable biofuel feedstock as well as other aspects in its production and utilization. Introduction Biofuel refers to fuels made from biomass and primarily used for motive, thermal and power generation. The earliest experiences in combustion were with the utilization of solid biofuels for domestic needs. Later, liquid biofuels became equally valuable energy resources. Years before the discovery of petroleum, ethanol was already being used as lamp fuel. By 1860, distilleries in the United States of America produced at least 90 million gallons of alcohol per year for lighting. Vegetable oils were also found to be good home heating oils and engine fuels for stationary power systems. Rudolf Diesel has originally invented the diesel engine to run on vegetable oil specifically from peanut. Samuel Morey developed an engine that ran on ethanol and turpentine as early as 1826. Nikolaus Otto, the German inventor who is best known for his development of a modern internal combustion engine, used ethanol as the fuel in one of his engines in the year 1860. Henry Ford’s first automobile was fuelled by pure ethanol. He also fabricated the first flexible fuel vehicle (Model T in 1903) which is fuelled by either gasoline or ethanol or by a mixture of both. Cars and other vehicles, however, begun running on cheap crude oil or petroleum as soon as reserves were discovered in the United States of America. Nevertheless, biofuels remained important energy resources competing with imported oil in countries such as Germany and Great Britain up to the close of World War II. Biodiesel Biodiesel, classified as a renewable and biodegradable diesel fuel which is produced thru extraction of natural fats and oils. It can substantially reduce green house gas emission due to its low sulfur content. It is now commonly used in various parts of the world. Biodiesel can replace petroleum diesel in both the transport and non-transport applications. A shift in the utilization of alternative energy resources (including alternative fuels) will change the total demand for biodiesel as well as the level of utilization in specific applications. Bioethanol â€Å"Bioethanol is a high-octane, water-free alcohol produced from the fermentation of sugar or other converted biomass. In its purest form it is a colorless clear liquid with mild characteristic odor that boils at 78oC and freezes at 112oC† (www. doe. gov. ph). Ethanol burns more cleanly because it contains oxygen and has a high octane number, hence less carbon monoxide emissions and averts premature detonation. It burns slightly cooler, extending engine life, and promotes higher volumetric efficiency of the engine, thus, increases power. Adding ethanol to gasoline â€Å"oxygenates† the fuel so that it burns with less emissions. Most modern gasoline vehicles could operate on pure ethanol with a few basic engine modifications. â€Å"A 10% blend requires no engine modification while making a contribution to reducing emissions. Anything more than 10% requires engine modification† (www. doe. gov. ph). The other commercial blends are E15 (U. S. A. ), E20 (Brazil), E85 (Sweden and Minnesota), and E100 (used with 4% water in Brazil and Argentina). Fuel ethanol is primarily used for land transport as alternative to gasoline in spark-ignition engines. Other Biofuels The potentials of other alcohols such as methanol, propanol and butanol can be exhaustively explored for very specific future applications that can further increase the total amount of biofuel substitute to conventional fossil and fossil derived fuels. Methanol produced from biomass is not economically competitive at present. There is, however, an interesting possibility as alternative to hydrogen as fuel. Propanol and butanol can be produced by the action of microorganisms and enzymes. Butanol, particularly, is produced by fermentation in a process that can be modified for high net enegy gains. It has sufficiently similar characteristics with gasoline fuel such that there is high probability that it can be burned pure in existing commercial engines without modification and without any difficulty. There are other important biofuels such as biogas, charcoal, producer gas, etc. They can be processed and utilized in accordance with the provisions of existing laws, rules, regulations and standards. Studies are conducted in order that these important biofuels can be integrated into the biofuels program in a package for both energy and socio-economic objectives. Other First Generation Biofuels The most common First Generation Biofuel is biogas which is a product of anaerobic digestion of organic materials an example of which is methane from wastes. Both the gas and digestate can be used as fuel. The utilization is usually site specific because of the environmental implications of production. A number of big commercial farms are producing and using biogas from wastes for process heating and the generation of supplementary power. Another first generation biofuel is Charcoal which is the product of the carbonization of hydrocarbon materials including wastes. Producer gas is from the gasification of hydrocarbon feedstock. In the late seventies, this fuel was utilized as engine fuel. The gas was generated from small wood chips fed into a reactor mounted unto the vehicle. Second-generation Biofuels â€Å"Second generation biofuels are those from lignocellulosic biomass feedstock using advanced technical processes. Being currently developed are: BioHydrogen, Bio- dimethylether (Bio-DME), Biomethanol, dimethylfuran (DMF), High Temperature Upgrading (HTU) diesel, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, Mixed Alcohols† (http://www. export. gov). Biofuels, A Preferred Energy Source The earliest experiences in combustion were with the utilization of solid biofuels for domestic needs. Later, liquid biofuels became equally valuable energy resources. In the aftermath of the war, abundance of cheap crude oil from the Middle East brought about the reduced interest in biofuels. The oil crises of 1973 and 1979, however, brought about urgent need for extenders and substitutes, temporarily focusing attention on the indigenous and renewable biofuels. In view of the rising prices (Figure 1) as well as the uncertainty of supply of crude oil and the increasing greenhouse gas emissions, it is time for a major shift in the energy mix towards the use of cleaner indigenous renewable energy in the interest of energy security, the economy and the environment. The start of the present decade ushered in the realization that the era of cheap fossil fuels, particularly petroleum, is drawing to a close. Figure 2 shows the historical and projected petroleum contribution to the world energy mix. The rising oil prices shall persist not only because of depletion of reserves but also because of the continuing political instability in the Middle East. Developing countries shall soon find it difficult to compete for access. There is also the matter of worsening green house gas emissions from excessive burning of fossil fuels. Continuing dependence on crude oil, therefore, is disadvantageous in terms of national security, the economy and the environment. Figure 3 shows the projected greenhouse gases emissions from developed and developing countries based on historical human and natural emissions. In view of the rising prices as well as the uncertainty of supply of crude oil and the increasing greenhouse gas emissions, it is time for a major shift in the energy mix towards the use of cleaner indigenous renewable energy in the interest of energy security, the economy and the environment.

Notes on Anil Essay

However, he sees people outside and discovers the Headman’s brother, Marimuthu hanging a woman, at which he is traumatised. The next day, the body has been taken down and we learn that it is Marimuthu’s wife. However, Marimuthu is pretending that his wife has commited suicide. Anil tells the village & the Headman that he saw Marimuthu kill the woman and the Headman goes off to talk to Anil’s father about him. In the next section, we learn that Anil is being sent to school (a great opportunity) but it is so that the Headman can cover up his brother’s actions as a murderer. At the end, both father & son explore their decisions and whether they made the right/wrong choice given the consequences. The last scene shows the Headman & his brother, the Headman smiling at his brother and the brother showing relief that they got away with it. Form †¢ †¢ Omniscient narrator – allows us to learn the feelings of each of the characters – an overview of the story. Short story bildungsroman: shows the character growing up/maturing when he learns the nature of good/evil and something about morality, â€Å"I will never forget this town and the sin that it buries today. As a child, we believe in right & wrong and that sins are punished. However, he learns that there is not always justice in the world, and in fact sin is metaphorically buried. †¢ Epiphany: as above: â€Å"I will never forget this town and the sin that it buries today. † (line 216. ) Structure †¢ †¢ Lines 93-95- powerful visual- cinematic description of the body shocks us- climax shocking so early in the story. Lines 41- 60- the boy’s fears are presented: father, fear of the dark, mosquito, ghosts- writer uses one word lines to reflect the tension, ‘They. Peyi. Pesase. Ghosts. ’- also ‘Dare he? ’- the omniscient narrator draws us into Anil’s mind. Lines 159-160- the second section is used to describe the aftermath where Anil finds himself accusing the murderer, ‘You killed her. ’ We are left on a cliff-hanger as we wonder what the consequences will be, ‘†¦ about this son of yours. ’ See epiphany is form. Lines 198-202- we are now given Ragunathan’s perspective and the writer presents his confused shame as Anil is sent away. †¢ †¢ †¢ Language †¢ Lines 1-14 (opening paragraph): heat is emphasised to create a claustrophobic and confined setting, ‘hot, sweltering’- contrasts with the image of the star Anil watches, ‘a small star shone†¦ ’ as his dreams set him apart (omniscient narrator allows us to see Anil’s perspective and draws us to him. ) Lines 21-31- physical details of mother reinforce the heat and discomfort/pain of the setting and their lives, ‘wet patch†¦ layers of fat’- a child’s view amuses us ‘Wheee†¦ the fly slid down’ but is mixed with the accepted pain/violence/abuse ‘the bruise†¦where Appa†¦ had hit her. ’ Lines 69- 74- symbolism of the tree- from childish view ‘†¦ a tree that ate little children. ’ To shocking reality ‘They were hanging a woman. Lines 222- end- the worm simile used to describe how Marimuthu views the train/the truth within Anil reflects the relief he feels at having escaped justice- the heat of his wife’s injustice distorts the train and makes the image sinister, but even more sinister to the reader is the ‘shadow of a smile’ which hints that all is under control again. †¢ †¢ †¢ How to use PETER for analysis: P- The writer uses a star at the beginning of the story and after the climax of the murder to highlight Anil’s innocence and isolation, E- ‘silencing the sobs that wracked his little body, as a star shimmered above. ’ T- The repeated symbolism of the star as well as the alliteration of ‘silencing the sobs’ and ‘star shimmered’ E- draws our attention to his vulnerability and perhaps loss of innocence as he witnesses such a crime. R- We cannot help but feel pity for Anil’s character as we share his pain and terror. O- create your own other interpretation here.

Digital Fortress Chapter 5

â€Å"Where is everyone?† Susan wondered as she crossed the deserted Crypto floor. Some emergency. Although most NSA departments were fully staffed seven days a week, Crypto was generally quiet on Saturdays. Cryptographic mathematicians were by nature high-strung workaholics, and there existed an unwritten rule that they take Saturdays off except in emergencies. Code-breakers were too valuable a commodity at the NSA to risk losing them to burnout. As Susan traversed the floor, TRANSLTR loomed to her right. The sound of the generators eight stories below sounded oddly ominous today. Susan never liked being in Crypto during off hours. It was like being trapped alone in a cage with some grand, futuristic beast. She quickly made her way toward the commander's office. Strathmore's glass-walled workstation, nicknamed â€Å"the fishbowl† for its appearance when the drapes were open, stood high atop a set of catwalk stairs on the back wall of Crypto. As Susan climbed the grated steps, she gazed upward at Strathmore's thick, oak door. It bore the NSA seal-a bald eagle fiercely clutching an ancient skeleton key. Behind that door sat one of the greatest men she'd ever met. Commander Strathmore, the fifty-six-year-old deputy director of operations, was like a father to Susan. He was the one who'd hired her, and he was the one who'd made the NSA her home. When Susan joined the NSA over a decade ago, Strathmore was heading the Crypto Development Division-a training ground for new cryptographers-new male cryptographers. Although Strathmore never tolerated the hazing of anyone, he was especially protective of his sole female staff member. When accused of favoritism, he simply replied with the truth: Susan Fletcher was one of the brightest young recruits he'd ever seen, and he had no intention of losing her to sexual harassment. One of the cryptographers foolishly decided to test Strathmore's resolve. One morning during her first year, Susan dropped by the new cryptographers' lounge to get some paperwork. As she left, she noticed a picture of herself on the bulletin board. She almost fainted in embarrassment. There she was, reclining on a bed and wearing only panties. As it turned out, one of the cryptographers had digitally scanned a photo from a pornographic magazine and edited Susan's head onto someone else's body. The effect had been quite convincing. Unfortunately for the cryptographer responsible, Commander Strathmore did not find the stunt even remotely amusing. Two hours later, a landmark memo went out: EMPLOYEE CARL AUSTIN TERMINATED FOR INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT. From that day on, nobody messed with her; Susan Fletcher was Commander Strathmore's golden girl. But Strathmore's young cryptographers were not the only ones who learned to respect him; early in his career Strathmore made his presence known to his superiors by proposing a number of unorthodox and highly successful intelligence operations. As he moved up the ranks, Trevor Strathmore became known for his cogent, reductive analyses of highly complex situations. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to see past the moral perplexities surrounding the NSA's difficult decisions and to act without remorse in the interest of the common good. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Strathmore loved his country. He was known to his colleagues as a patriot and a visionary†¦ a decent man in a world of lies. In the years since Susan's arrival at the NSA, Strathmore had skyrocketed from head of Crypto Development to second-in-command of the entire NSA. Now only one man outranked Commander Strathmore there-Director Leland Fontaine, the mythical overlord of the Puzzle Palace-never seen, occasionally heard, and eternally feared. He and Strathmore seldom saw eye to eye, and when they met, it was like the clash of the titans. Fontaine was a giant among giants, but Strathmore didn't seem to care. He argued his ideas to the director with all the restraint of an impassioned boxer. Not even the President of the United States dared challenge Fontaine the way Strathmore did. One needed political immunity to do that-or, in Strathmore's case, political indifference. Susan arrived at the top of the stairs. Before she could knock, Strathmore's electronic door lock buzzed. The door swung open, and the commander waved her in. â€Å"Thanks for coming, Susan. I owe you one.† â€Å"Not at all.† She smiled as she sat opposite his desk. Strathmore was a rangy, thick-fleshed man whose muted features somehow disguised his hard-nosed efficiency and demand for perfection. His gray eyes usually suggested a confidence and discretion born from experience, but today they looked wild and unsettled. â€Å"You look beat,† Susan said. â€Å"I've been better.† Strathmore sighed. I'll say, she thought. Strathmore looked as bad as Susan had ever seen him. His thinning gray hair was disheveled, and even in the room's crisp air-conditioning, his forehead was beaded with sweat. He looked like he'd slept in his suit. He was sitting behind a modern desk with two recessed keypads and a computer monitor at one end. It was strewn with computer printouts and looked like some sort of alien cockpit propped there in the center of his curtained chamber. â€Å"Tough week?† she inquired. Strathmore shrugged. â€Å"The usual. The EFF's all over me about civilian privacy rights again.† Susan chuckled. The EFF, or Electronics Frontier Foundation, was a worldwide coalition of computer users who had founded a powerful civil liberties coalition aimed at supporting free speech on-line and educating others to the realities and dangers of living in an electronic world. They were constantly lobbying against what they called â€Å"the Orwellian eavesdropping capabilities of government agencies†-particularly the NSA. The EFF was a perpetual thorn in Strathmore's side. â€Å"Sounds like business as usual,† she said. â€Å"So what's this big emergency you got me out of the tub for?† Strathmore sat a moment, absently fingering the computer trackball embedded in his desktop. After a long silence, he caught Susan's gaze and held it. â€Å"What's the longest you've ever seen TRANSLTR take to break a code?† The question caught Susan entirely off guard. It seemed meaningless. This is what he called me in for? â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She hesitated. â€Å"We hit a COMINT intercept a few months ago that took about an hour, but it had a ridiculously long key-ten thousand bits or something like that.† Strathmore grunted. â€Å"An hour, huh? What about some of the boundary probes we've run?† Susan shrugged. â€Å"Well, if you include diagnostics, it's obviously longer.† â€Å"How much longer?† Susan couldn't imagine what Strathmore was getting at. â€Å"Well, sir, I tried an algorithm last March with a segmented million-bit key. Illegal looping functions, cellular automata, the works. TRANSLTR still broke it.† â€Å"How long?† â€Å"Three hours.† Strathmore arched his eyebrows. â€Å"Three hours? That long?† Susan frowned, mildly offended. Her job for the last three years had been to fine-tune the most secret computer in the world; most of the programming that made TRANSLTR so fast was hers. A million-bit key was hardly a realistic scenario. â€Å"Okay,† Strathmore said. â€Å"So even in extreme conditions, the longest a code has ever survived inside TRANSLTR is about three hours?† Susan nodded. â€Å"Yeah. More or less.† Strathmore paused as if afraid to say something he might regret. Finally he looked up. â€Å"TRANSLTR's hit something†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stopped. Susan waited. â€Å"More than three hours?† Strathmore nodded. She looked unconcerned. â€Å"A new diagnostic? Something from the Sys-Sec Department?† Strathmore shook his head. â€Å"It's an outside file.† Susan waited for the punch line, but it never came. â€Å"An outside file? You're joking, right?† â€Å"I wish. I queued it last night around eleven thirty. It hasn't broken yet.† Susan's jaw dropped. She looked at her watch and then back at Strathmore. â€Å"It's still going? Over fifteen hours?† Strathmore leaned forward and rotated his monitor toward Susan. The screen was black except for a small, yellow text box blinking in the middle. TIME ELAPSED: 15:09:33 AWAITING KEY: ________ Susan stared in amazement. It appeared TRANSLTR had been working on one code for over fifteen hours. She knew the computer's processors auditioned thirty million keys per second-one hundred billion per hour. If TRANSLTR was still counting, that meant the key had to be enormous-over ten billion digits long. It was absolute insanity. â€Å"It's impossible!† she declared. â€Å"Have you checked for error flags? Maybe TRANSLTR hit a glitch and-â€Å" â€Å"The run's clean.† â€Å"But the pass-key must be huge!† Strathmore shook his head. â€Å"Standard commercial algorithm. I'm guessing a sixty-four-bit key.† Mystified, Susan looked out the window at TRANSLTR below. She knew from experience that it could locate a sixty-four-bit key in under ten minutes. â€Å"There's got to be some explanation.† Strathmore nodded. â€Å"There is. You're not going to like it.† Susan looked uneasy. â€Å"Is TRANSLTR malfunctioning?† â€Å"TRANSLTR's fine.† â€Å"Have we got a virus?† Strathmore shook his head. â€Å"No virus. Just hear me out.† Susan was flabbergasted. TRANSLTR had never hit a code it couldn't break in under an hour. Usually the cleartext was delivered to Strathmore's printout module within minutes. She glanced at the high-speed printer behind his desk. It was empty. â€Å"Susan,† Strathmore said quietly. â€Å"This is going to be hard to accept at first, but just listen a minute.† He chewed his lip. â€Å"This code that TRANSLTR's working on-it's unique. It's like nothing we've ever seen before.† Strathmore paused, as if the words were hard for him to say. â€Å"This code is unbreakable.† Susan stared at him and almost laughed. Unbreakable? What was THAT supposed to mean? There was no such thing as an unbreakable code-some took longer than others, but every code was breakable. It was mathematically guaranteed that sooner or later TRANSLTR would guess the right key. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"The code's unbreakable,† he repeated flatly. Unbreakable? Susan couldn't believe the word had been uttered by a man with twenty-seven years of code analysis experience. â€Å"Unbreakable, sir?† she said uneasily. â€Å"What about the Bergofsky Principle?† Susan had learned about the Bergofsky Principle early in her career. It was a cornerstone of brute-force technology. It was also Strathmore's inspiration for building TRANSLTR. The principle clearly stated that if a computer tried enough keys, it was mathematically guaranteed to find the right one. A code's security was not that its pass-key was unfindable but rather that most people didn't have the time or equipment to try. Strathmore shook his head. â€Å"This code's different.† â€Å"Different?† Susan eyed him askance. An unbreakable code is a mathematical impossibility! He knows that! Strathmore ran a hand across his sweaty scalp. â€Å"This code is the product of a brand-new encryption algorithm-one we've never seen before.† Now Susan was even more doubtful. Encryption algorithms were just mathematical formulas, recipes for scrambling text into code. Mathematicians and programmers created new algorithms every day. There were hundreds of them on the market-PGP, Diffie-Hellman, ZIP, IDEA, El Gamal. TRANSLTR broke all of their codes every day, no problem. To TRANSLTR all codes looked identical, regardless of which algorithm wrote them. â€Å"I don't understand,† she argued. â€Å"We're not talking about reverse-engineering some complex function, we're talking brute force. PGP, Lucifer, DSA-it doesn't matter. The algorithm generates a key it thinks is secure, and TRANSLTR keeps guessing until it finds it.† Strathmore's reply had the controlled patience of a good teacher. â€Å"Yes, Susan, TRANSLTR will always find the key-even if it's huge.† He paused a long moment. â€Å"Unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Susan wanted to speak, but it was clear Strathmore was about to drop his bomb. Unless what? â€Å"Unless the computer doesn't know when it's broken the code.† Susan almost fell out of her chair. â€Å"What!† â€Å"Unless the computer guesses the correct key but just keeps guessing because it doesn't realize it found the right key.† Strathmore looked bleak. â€Å"I think this algorithm has got a rotating cleartext.† Susan gaped. The notion of a rotating cleartext function was first put forth in an obscure, 1987 paper by a Hungarian mathematician, Josef Harne. Because brute-force computers broke codes by examining cleartext for identifiable word patterns, Harne proposed an encryption algorithm that, in addition to encrypting, shifted decrypted cleartext over a time variant. In theory, the perpetual mutation would ensure that the attacking computer would never locate recognizable word patterns and thus never know when it had found the proper key. The concept was somewhat like the idea of colonizing Mars-fathomable on an intellectual level, but, at present, well beyond human ability. â€Å"Where did you get this thing?† she demanded. The commander's response was slow. â€Å"A public sector programmer wrote it.† â€Å"What?† Susan collapsed back in her chair. â€Å"We've got the best programmers in the world downstairs! All of us working together have never even come close to writing a rotating cleartext function. Are you trying to tell me some punk with a PC figured out how to do it?† Strathmore lowered his voice in an apparent effort to calm her. â€Å"I wouldn't call this guy a punk.† Susan wasn't listening. She was convinced there had to be some other explanation: A glitch. A virus. Anything was more likely than an unbreakable code. Strathmore eyed her sternly. â€Å"One of the most brilliant cryptographic minds of all time wrote this algorithm.† Susan was more doubtful than ever; the most brilliant cryptographic minds of all time were in her department, and she certainly would have heard about an algorithm like this. â€Å"Who?† she demanded. â€Å"I'm sure you can guess.† Strathmore said. â€Å"He's not too fond of the NSA.† â€Å"Well, that narrows it down!† she snapped sarcastically. â€Å"He worked on the TRANSLTR project. He broke the rules. Almost caused an intelligence nightmare. I deported him.† Susan's face was blank only an instant before going white. â€Å"Oh my God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Strathmore nodded. â€Å"He's been bragging all year about his work on a brute-force-resistant algorithm.† â€Å"B-but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Susan stammered. â€Å"I thought he was bluffing. He actually did it?† â€Å"He did. The ultimate unbreakable code-writer.† Susan was silent a long moment. â€Å"But†¦ that means†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Strathmore looked her dead in the eye. â€Å"Yes. Ensei Tankado just made TRANSLTR obsolete.†

Thesis Statment

Thesis Statement: Definition: the thesis statement is the most important sentence in your essay. It is the main idea for the whole essay; it is frequently shows (directly, indirectly) the number and the content of the body paragraphs of the essay. Clear thesis statement are essential for good writing. Parts of a thesis statement: A thesis statement has two main parts: the topic and the controlling and additional one not necessary predictor. A- Topic: the subject of the essay, what the essay is about. Ex: Frank McCourt faced two obstacles.B- Controlling: what you are going to say about the topic. Ex. Frank McCourt faced two obstacles. C- Predictor: it is a third component in a thesis statement. It tells the reader how many body paragraphs there will be in the essay and what their content will be. Ex. Frank McCourt faced two obstacles lack of education and poverty. Activity 1: predict the content of the body paragraphs of the following statements circle the topic, underline the control ling: 1- As we human beings shape our environment by building and producing, we are increasingly polluting our air, water and our soil. – The main advantages of urban planning are that we can control a city's appearance, we can organize transportation effectively, and we can make sure there are enough open spaces. 3- With its winding paths, lake, and small forests, Central Park in New York City is the most important example of the romantic style of landscape architecture in the United States. Rules for Thesis Statement: 1- Thesis statement must be a complete sentence with a subject and a verb. City living hazardous to your health. (not a thesis) City living is hazardous to your health. – Thesis statement must be a statement not a question. Are dogs good companions? Dogs are good companions. 3- Thesis statement is an opinion it can't be a simple statement of fact (doesn’t need any support) I have an older brother and a younger brother. I have much in common with my younger brother than I do with my older brother. 4- Thesis statement is a statement not announcement and must state the controlling idea. This essay I'm going to talk about air pollution. Recent methods of reducing air pollution are showing some positive results 5- Thesis statement should have only one controlling idea.Public transportation in my hometown is too expensive, and it is slower than that in Tokyo. Public transportation in my hometown is too expensive. Activity: 2 state if the following sentences is a good thesis statement or not and state the rule it violates. 1- Japanese car are better than American cars. 2- A Mitsubishi is a Japanese car. 3- I'm going to show you why seat belts are necessary. 4- Are seat belts necessary? 5- Wearing a seat belt can save your life. 6- Students who work while they are studying meet a lot of people, and their professors also work hard. 7- Work-study programs an analysis. – In this essay, I will compare working on campus and worki ng off campus. Activity 3: choose 4 topics to write 4 thesis statements. 2 must have a predictor: 1- __________________________________________________________________________ 2- __________________________________________________________________________ 3- __________________________________________________________________________ 4- __________________________________________________________________________ ———————– Wild animalsendangered speciestransportationocean/ water Climate changeworld's food productioneducationforest/ vegetation

What finance options are open to a fast growing UK Listed Maritime Assignment

What finance options are open to a fast growing UK Listed Maritime Company that is looking to expand - Assignment Example The market failure may  arise from imperfect information fuelled by volatile economic conditions where lenders become risk averse. #1 Critical evaluation of the difference between debt and equity from the perspective of a UK listed company Listed companies have a broad range of financing options available to them, which include debt and equity (Graham and Smart, 2009, p. 44). Companies utilize a blend of debt and equity funding to finance their operations. Companies bearing high credit ratings can borrow money at low interest, besides selling shares at a premium. Debt refers to money raised from banks and bondholders, while equity refers to money raised from the shareholders. In return for investing their money in a company, shareholders are rewarded with a percentage of the company (a share). Equity financing refers to issuing additional shares of common stock to investors. The issuing of common stock decreases the previous stockholders’ percentage of ownership. Debt financ ing is often accompanied by strict conditions or covenants, besides having to pay interest and principal on stipulated dates. Debt Sources of Financing Debt financing incorporates collateralized bonds, leases, bank overdrafts, debentures, lines of credit, and bank loans. A bond refers to a written promise to pay back a certain amount of money on a stipulated date in the future. In the interim, bondholders receive interest payments at fixed rates on stipulated dates. Debt financing typically includes an interest rate of about 3-8% depending on the  debt and the arrangement. The face value, maturity date, and coupon rate are evaluated at the time the bond is issued (Morris, McKay and Oates, 2009, p. 328). The shareholders assume all the risks and rewards from debt financing. As a result, debt financing can be relatively less expensive compared to equity finance depending on the expectation of the equity financiers. Equity Sources of Financing Companies usually seek capital from inve stors through the issuance of either common or preferred shares. Equity financing may also incorporate employee stock options. Equity funding does not incur interest or have to be repaid. Debt financing is usually more risky compared to equity financing, although equity financing is more expensive (Gleyberman, 2009, p. 8). Some of the advantages of debt financing include interest payments being tax deductible and that there is no dilution of ownership to the existing equity holders. The disadvantages of debt financing include the fact that the debt holder has priority over the company assets during liquidation. Besides, in cases where the investor doubts the capability of the company to meet interest payments, investors may demand higher interests to compensate for the uncertainty. In addition, there are several covenants associated with debt instruments that may constrain a company’s freedom of action (Albrecht, Stice, Stice and Swain, 2011, p. 507). In debt financing, loan repayment should be done on a predetermined date even if the business is in a loss. The cost to the company in debt financing is known beforehand. The cost to the company in debt financing is straightforward to predict, plan, and repay. Equity financing has several advantages such as no current payments due and no preferential rights on the company’s assets. The process of raising funds through equity

Strategic plan for one of the companies listed on Forbes International Essay

Strategic plan for one of the companies listed on Forbes International Top Ten list - Essay Example In today’s modern era, every company strives to dominate its market. In order to gain any market segment, a company must have a business strategic plan implemented to achieve its goals. Each year Forbes.com comes with a list of top corporations that are excelling in their market. One of the firms that have made a dramatic impact in its industry is Toyota. Toyota is one of the few companies that has the honor to claim itself as â€Å"not only the best automaker in the world, but also maybe the best corporation†. This paper will discuss the strategic management of Toyota and its quest to become the market leader in its industry. One of the most unique strategic planning that Toyota has implemented is to employee top management positions from Japan. Although this move might not work for every corporation, Toyota has the reputation to preserve its brand reputation. From design to corporate decisions, all operations take place in Tokyo[2]. The reason for this is clearly expl ained by John Paul MacDuffee, a professor at local university as he states, â€Å"This is about a greater maturity about globalizing and transferring knowledge that Toyota certainly has at this point.†[2]. In addition, these executives decided to ask their suppliers to reduce their cost by 30%. Management understood that every little step taken by them will influence the company in the long-run. By building a solid environment of knowledge and design, Toyota is able to utilize mass production methods[1]. How is this achieved? Well, the company is a firm believer in the Just-in-time â€Å"lean production.† Toyota’s lean manufacturing system is a critical for its strategic planning by enhancing the flow of work [1]. In addition, it focuses to reduce the organization’s waste, which dramatically increases customer value. Moreover, it levels of production level which eliminates unevenness in its manufacturing system. Just-in-time improves organization's return on investment, quality, and efficiency[1]. Undoubtedly, much of the success that Toyota has enjoyed is due to this model that is collaborated and implemented through planning and executive models. The current strategic planning for Toyota is to introduce a new line of hybrid cars. As humanity progresses to the 21st century, society has becoming more environmental friendly. Hence, Toyota saw this as an opportunity to expand its line of cars. Hence, it decided to invest heavily in research and development in order to build hybrid-electric vehicles [3]. Toyota’s ability to fund in development was critical as it poured millions of dollars without hurting its capital budget. After years of researching, Toyota decided to aggressively showcase its new hybrid Camry and Highlander, two cars that are known for quality and durability [3]. However, it was met by a tough rival as Ford introduced its newest S.U.V at the same time where Toyota showcased its news Prius. While other companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s struggled to design hybrid cars that produced revenue, Toyota was already enjoying decent profits. Interestingly enough, the company never attempts to make any bold of false promises as other companies. Toyota executives acknowledged the fact that gas prices will continue to rise as oil becomes scarce. Furthermore, it was clear that creating an automobile that was â€Å"environmental friendly† is clearly going to be the future of the industry[3]. Hence, by carefully forecasting the

Efficient Market Hypothersis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Efficient Market Hypothersis - Essay Example While the extent of the validity of these criticisms remains debated, the efficient-market hypothesis (EMH) has held a pronounced influence on political and academic thought. This essay considers the extent that the market, as Warren Buffet claims, functions under irrational processes, or can be explained in rational terms through the efficient market hypothesis. Outline of the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) In its modern incarnation Professor Eugene Fama first articulated the efficient-market hypothesis in the early 1960s during his time at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. From an overarching perspective, the efficient market hypothesis theory contends that for investors it is impossible to ‘beat’ the market on a consistent basis. The main reasoning behind this notion is that the market will reflect all available information for the particular investment, such that gaining any sort of edge over other investors is made impossible. This contention do es not necessitate that individuals act in rational ways. Indeed, the efficient market hypothesis understands that a number of individuals will both over and under react to available market information. The cumulative impact of these reactions results in market efficiency, as the random reactions will fall proportionally along a normal distribution pattern. In these regards, it’s possible for an individual to be right or wrong about the market, but the market itself is necessarily an accurate reflection of available asset information. Structural Components There are three major versions of the efficient market hypothesis, each of them resting on a different part of a spectrum of efficiency. The first version is the weak-form efficient market theory. Within this perspective all prices on past publically traded assets, including stocks, bonds, and property, already have factored into them all publically available investment information. The semi-strong version of the hypothesis takes this a step further and argues that current asset prices reflect all publically available information and that when new information emerges prices change instantly to reflect this new public information. The third version of the efficient market hypothesis is the strong-form version. The strong-form version of the hypothesis goes even further in that it argues in addition to asset prices immediately reflecting public information, asset prices also instantly reflect insider or otherwise concealed information. Analysis Seminal Literature There are a number of seminal studies that established core elements of the efficient market hypothesis. While Fama first articulated the theory in its modern context, its original formulations were explored as early as the 19th century. Kirman (2009) notes that French mathmetician Louis Bachelier established many of the general tenants of this theory in his ‘Theory of Speculation’ published in 1900. The early years of the 20th cen tury witnessed another prototypical formulation of this perspective in the random walk model; this was a notion that stock prices operated through random steps and as such gaining a long-term predictive edge was